Personal Growth Planet Blog

We do not consider ourselves Hindus, but each year my family celebrates a modern Hindu holiday. It’s called Pancha Ganapati and it honors the Hindu God Ganesh, the half-elephant, half-boy son of Shiva and Parvati.

What I absolutely love about Pancha Ganapati is the way that it brings my husband, two sons and I together for a few moments of quiet togetherness each of the 5 days of the holiday. Right next to our Christmas tree, we set up an altar with a little statue of Ganesh, colored pieces of fabric, some candles and  the daily puja– a treat for Ganesh.

September 11th used to be a date of happy anticipation for me. It is the day before my wedding anniversary, so it is something I– previously– associated only with eagerness for the celebrating to come on the 12th.

After 2001, however, this all changed.

Yes, I still look forward to and do celebrate my wedding anniversary with my husband on September 12th each year. But, the day before is a more confusing experience now. For me, there is a sadness and a bit of anxiousness mixed in with my excitement to commemorate the love that my husband and I have shared over the years.

Just about everyone I know is overcommitted and has a difficult time saying “no.”

It seems to be the American way to agree to whatever request (or demand) is thrown our way– and then complain about, resent and feel powerless to whatever it is we felt compelled to say “yes” to in the first place.

It all comes down to a desire, perhaps even a desperate need, to please.

Even the most non-conforming individuals among us want to be liked. While there are those who may not comfortably admit it, just about everyone has a need to feel loved and accepted (even if it’s on our terms, in specific sub-cultures and in our own unique ways).

Do you tend to go through life feeling like you’re banging up against one brick wall after another?

I have certainly felt that way at times. It can seem as if I am slowly plodding along through my thigh-deep-in-mud kind of days.

Trying. to. get. ahead.

During those days, weeks or months in which setbacks and obstacles appear to be the norm, I long for life to be easy. I find myself asking, “Why can’t life be easy for once?”

The answer, of course, all comes down to me.