The role of a Guru is to help us through transformations from darkness to light. To shine a flashlight, so to speak, on life stuff that we may otherwise miss.
(in Sanskrit Gu = Darkness, Ru = Removal)

Each of us has a different idea of who our Guru is.

Sometimes we search all over the world to find our Guru.

In far away places like Southern India, the Mountains of Nepal, Deserts of Mexico or the Rainforest in Brazil. Some of us receive teachings from our Guru often; some of us visit our Guru but once a year; some of us have a living Guru, and for some of us our Gurus is dead. Some of us seek our entire lives and never find our Guru.

Well, maybe your Guru is right where you are TODAY.
Maybe he is there everyday.
Maybe she is different everyday.

We have heard the teaching that ‘When the student is ready, the teacher will appear’. Well, how about, ‘When the student opens their eyes, they will see that the Gurus are right in front of them, EVERDAY!’.

The Universe provides opportunities for transformation with the lessons we need to learn each and every day through the challenges we encounter. Especially in times of challenge when we really feel we need a Guru. And they come via whatever person is in our life that day to deliver them to us.

Maybe it is the screaming child sitting next to us on the airplane (OR our own screaming child) so we can learn about love and attention. Maybe it is the person next to us in line at the bank that is loosing his cool from having to wait, so we may observe a lesson in patience.

How about the accident on the road that teaches us how important it is to remain present while we drive. Or even the drunk guy who crashes into our car making us
realizes how easily loved ones may be gone.

It could be the smokers sitting next to us in the restaurant, teaching us that there are many different ideas of comforting air.

Maybe it is our best friend telling us their partner is leaving them because they are not happy. Maybe it is our OWN partner who is leaving US because they are not happy.

Today I invite you to look for your Guru (or Gurus) in your everyday encounters. Not just the people that you expect to hear or learn some enlightened words of wisdom from, but every person that crosses your path, whether you know them or not. These are our opportunities for Everyday Guru encounters, IF we are willing to open our eyes and see the Guru.

The more we open our eyes to see these people, these encounters, these happenings as our Gurus, the more we can learn the lessons of transformation they have to
offer us. And, the more they can lead us from the darkness to the light.

Shanti Out,