We Can be Victorious When We Fight Our Dragons
I had the chance to travel to Cambodia a few years ago.  On one of my excursions to the ancient temple sites, I climbed up to the top of one of the structures in Siem Reap and   happened across a shrine where a Buddhist fortune teller had set up his “office”.  I waited for my turn to sit on his mat and receive a blessing. After he read my fortune in his native tongue, the interpreter told me what he said and explained its meaning.  The shaman then tied a red braided thread around my wrist.  I wore that red thread around my wrist for years as a reminder of the blessing, it finally broke but I was able to salvage a small piece that I keep with some of my special personal treasures.

In my blessing the shaman tells me the story of a buddha that went into the jungle to mediate and was thwarted and attacked by a vicious dragon demon that was trying to keep him from his meditation.  But the buddha (which represented me) fought the dragon and was victorious.  The interpreter said to me, using hand gestures to make sure I got the point, “The buddha (pointing to me), like you, got victory” !  I carry that message with me as a reminder that in all things in this life, I am victorious.  Yes, I will have to fight when the demons come to my mind, when difficult circumstances arise, and when I feel too tired to do my best, but you know what?  I will be victorious, because I got VICTORY!
Every day we go out into our jungle to “meditate”, to do what we do, and everyday we have problems that arise, difficulties that seem like they are trying to stop us from what our true intention is.  When that happens, just visualize yourself with a red thread around your wrist that says “I can do this, I am not alone, I got victory!”.
Have a great week, and remember to love and share this blessing wherever you can!
Love and Peace,
Sandy