For nearly 90 days, I have had the same morning practice. I begin that practice, “Thank you, Tara, Mother of all Buddhas, for opening my heart more each day.”

I expected to feel waves of love flow stronger every day. But that’s not what happened.

Instead, conversations became increasingly challenging, as did my work. Obstacles stacked one atop the other. What the hell?

Then, a moment of realization: You don’t necessarily get what you ask for. You get what you need in order to make it happen. 

Every challenge forced me to open my heart. Each day, I needed the awareness to make the choice to face a struggle (mine or someone else’s) and relax into it. I had to make the choice, again and again, to open my heart to whatever was happening in the moment.

And that was the gift from Tara.

If life is constantly challenging you yet you find yourself refusing to let those challenges close you off, instead rising to meet them, you are indeed in the process of opening your heart more each day.