Life isn’t always fair; so what do we do about it? We can become mired in self-pity and resentment—or we can move forward.

 A number of different things affect our idea of fairness: what we think ‘should’ happen or what we believe is ‘right’; our current reaction to misery symptoms (anger, guilt and so on); and the immediate influence of our self-driven will (selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-righteousness.) In any situation, we may not have a fair idea of what is really fair but we will encounter those situations or events that are not fair by any standard.

How do we react when a real or perceived unfairness hits us? Let us pause, evaluate our concept of fairness and try to honestly see if an impartial person might think this was unfair. If still disturbed, we discuss our reaction with someone we respect. If this act was obviously unfair, we may (or may not) try to correct the situation. Then, no matter what the outcome, we have a choice: will we whine about it, brood about it, and lose sleep over it or will we accept it, learn from it, and go on with living? Will we stay in the problem or move to the solution? Accepting what happened does not mean that we agree with it but that we recognize and accept the fact that this has occurred; it may impact our life but we will strive to make the best of it.

Prayer: Dear God, if any situation appears unfair today, help me to pause and ask for your guidance to honestly assess my perceptions and preconceived ideas; let me understand that this may not be as important as I am making it; give me strength and wisdom to respond according as you would have me respond and to move forward with my life.

Take three relaxing breaths; ask your inner spirit to guide your meditation; reflect on the content, pausing for a few minutes in silence.