There are no winners or losers in life. Some people have things easy while for others those same things are hard. There are people who could use some help and others who can give it. Many people believe that if only they had…they would be happy. Others think if only they were…life would be good. Maybe this is true, but maybe there is more to the story.

The movie Chocolate features a young girl named Zen. It is never explained why she is different, but Zen doesn’t talk much and doesn’t interact with her world the way other people do. The movie follows her as she is faced with many troubling events and situations. She realizes that if she wants change she needs to make it happen. When her life is unhappy, she uses her skills to confront the trouble as best she can.

Any life as lived by any person can be spiritual. Zen doesn’t seem like others and faces unique challenges, but this does not make her a good or bad person. She is not more or less able to find truth and joy because of her life. She simply has what she has and keeps getting up for the next fight. We can each do this. We can face each fight or blessing with the skills we have and courage in our hearts. We can make the changes needed to bring us closer to truth. We can be Zen.

Image created by Suweidario