Can you remember a moment when you were so close to the edge that you felt like screaming and losing it?! If one more thing went wrong, you were going to have a nervous breakdown! Every single person has felt this way at some point and many of us seem to be running into this feeling again and again.
One simple switch in consciousness can help change everything including your spirituality, health, career and relationships. One shift in your perception will help empower you beyond imagination.
It can take time to fully grasp this concept, but one of the most important aspects of this journey is to recognize when life is presenting you a lesson. Until you face the situational fear, life will present this lesson to you over and over in different forms. The longer it takes for you to do what youknow you need to, the more difficult these situations will become as they circle back around. Like a disease, fear will begin to take over your life.
If you’re reading this, you have either heard the concept in the past and not fully understood, or you and I may just need a reminder.
“Life creates situations that push you to your edges, all with the effect of removing what is blocked inside of you. That which is blocked and buried forms the root of fear. Fear is caused by blockages in your flow of energy. When your energy is blocked, it can’t come up and feed your heart.” -Michael SingerUnfortunately in life, we are more likely to reach the next level of evolution through the process of painful situations. When you are in shock, you reach a state of alertness and clarity. How you talk to yourself during this time, will pave the way for your future. How you view the situation at hand, will create an opening or closing in your soul’s journey.
Let’s examine a few great teachers who have used their experiences to understand and overcome fear in order to push forward in faith. They all came to a difficult point in their lives, in which they had to stop and reevaluate everything.
Arianna Huffington, Greek-American author, syndicated columnist and founder of The Huffington Post, came to this point in her life during her successful career. After 18 hour days at 7 days a week, she reached utter exhaustion by passing out on her desk, breaking her cheek bone, cutting her face open and waking up in a pool of blood. “If you are lying in a pool of blood in your office, you are not successful,” Ms. Huffington said. In this moment, she realized that her body was crying for help and it was time to make some changes for her health. In her recent book, Thrive, she offers a new concept and process of creating success by living a life of ‘well-being, wisdom and wonder’.
Neal Donald Walsch dealt with many setbacks before reaching his true breakthrough. By losing all of his belongings in a fire, dealing with a divorce, experiencing a horrific car accident leaving him with a broken neck, and ultimately trying to survive while living homeless, he finally reached a state of pure surrender. This journey was necessary for him, in order to reach his next level of evolution. Mr. Walsch then went on to write Conversations with God, which became an international best-seller and remained on the New York Times Bestseller List for over 2 years.
Maya Angelou was 8 years of age when her mother’s boyfriend raped her. The man threatened her that she would be killed if a single word was uttered. She thought she would be safe telling her brother. When the family found out, the man was put in jail for a single day and then kicked to death upon release. At such a young age, Maya thought her wordsactually killed the man. She stopped speaking for nearly 6 years before she allowed herself to start reading poetry out loud. This was the beginning of a tremendous story. Through this traumatic event and many other challenging times in her life, Maya Angelou went on to publish 7 autobiographies, write poetry and essays, and is credited to many plays, movies and TV shows over the last 50 years.
In each story, life presented challenging and painful events for the purpose of spiritual growth and enlightenment. There is a time for grief and there is a time for surrendering to your calling. Every single incident in life, good or bad, offers you a new opportunity to open yourself up enough in order to become your most authentic self. When you understand that struggle is necessary for your evolution, you will begin to be at peace with challenges that arise. You will know that in darkness, there will always be light.
“May you listen to the voice within the beat, even when you are tired. When you feel yourself breaking down, may you break open instead. May every experience in life be a door that opens your heart, expands your understanding, and leads you to freedom.” -Elizabeth LesserWe all have a story. We all carry painful memories from our past. Be kind to yourself and forgive the past. If you can learn to see moments of difficulty as hidden blessings and grand opportunities, true inspiration will transpire. Let go of fear and surrender to the evolution of who you are about to become. These moments are meant for transformation. These moments are meant for courage and vulnerability. When something big in your life goes wrong, remind yourself that something bigger is going to happen for you. Once you have a taste of what is sacred, you will refuse to drink from any other fountain.
“And the time came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” -Anais Nin
