Can you believe it? 2014 is almost over and there are only days left before we climb into yet another New Year. For many friends and clients, (myself included) 2014 has been a challenging year, as old ways of life fall away and new ways begin to emerge. Many people, especially those who identify themselves as "travelers on the spiritual path" have confessed that they have felt deeply tested in the last 12 months. Despite their best positive efforts, the things that have the greatest meaning to them have not yet come into being and in some cases things have gone completely haywire.
This breakdown has left many folks feeling depressed and frustrated, for some it generates a complete questioning of their purpose or their path in life.
"What am I doing wrong?" is a question I have heard from many people this year.
My answer to them and to everyone else is, "Nothing."
It is really important, dare I say crucial to remember that whenever we engage in any sort of practice to create something new in our lives (whether it be finances, health, relationships or whatever) that much of the old reality will have to be dismantled in order to make room for it. Destruction plays a huge role in Creation, there is nothing bad or wrong or negative about it.
This destruction will take shape not only in our physical world but in our emotional one as well, as the energies that have supported our current reality are brought to the surface to be transformed.
This means that the things that used to work to gain results for you, no longer will. This means that the habits of thought, energy and emotion that you used to practice to make things happen or get your way will no longer be effective. The bottom line is, in order to create different ... you will have to be different and this requisite need for internal change can be difficult and bring up all sorts of fear and self-doubt.
These old emotions, vows and beliefs are often not in alignment with our new creation and because they are deeply subconscious, we are often blindsided when something 'negative' appears in our lives. The tough stuff IS a part of the journey, but when time and time again, we seem to bump up against resistance, we view this negativity as an 'epic fail' and begin to deeply doubt our true power.
Get Me To The Mountaintop
Life -- whether you call it a spiritual journey or not, could be compared to climbing a mountain. Some days along the path are challenging; some days they can feel downright Soul crushing. But our degree of Mastery is determined by how aware and present we become when these challenges pop up, and whether we can dig deep enough within our own consciousness and the connection we have to all that is good and powerful to move through it and continue to forge ahead.
When an adventurer decides to climb a mountain, when he or she sets that massive goal and steps out on what might be the journey of a lifetime -- there is an unspoken understanding that there will be challenges along the way. So it is with life.
The climber knows he must become someone different than the person who he has been who may have felt safe and sound sitting in his living room, watching the world go by. He must mentally, physically and spiritually prepare. But even with all of that hard work and preparation, he still knows that once he begins the actual climb, it is not going to be easy. S#!t is going to come up.
There may be moments of doubt and fear that are so powerful the climber may want turn back. But there will be moments of such awe and beauty, such joy and satisfaction in a job well done, that time will stand still and all of the wide crevasses and steep cliffs that once stood as obstacles, will disappear. And when the climber looks back upon the path he has taken and everything that it required for him to get there, he can; if he is willing, take a moment to deeply appreciate just how far he has come. That, in my opinion, is the joy of Life.
The mountain is always just the mountain. It does not judge the speed at which the adventurer travels; it does not forbid her from getting to the top because she had more than one moment of weakness. It does not banish her from the trail because she may have failed once or twice before. All that the mountain requires is a presence of mind and a dedication of heart that brings one face to face with their own power and their ability to choose if or how they would like to proceed.
People will often ask a climber, "What is the purpose of climbing a mountain?" I think every climber will have their own answer and all of them would be correct. If you are the climber, the purpose is whatever you chose it to be. And so it is with our lives, there is no one single purpose and there is no one single path, there are many. If we stay present enough, we may discover multiple purposes and multiple pathways that serve our journey and our highest good.
Life, just like that mountain, reveals our courage and our weakness, our power and our pettiness, our fear and our redemption. And if we have the grace to stand firmly in all of those parts of ourselves and appreciate the space they occupy in our lives, then when our adventure is over and we return safely home, we are rewarded with a sense of empowerment and inner satisfaction that nothing else can match. And because no one else did it for us... it will always be ours and ours alone.
The Power Of Tying One On
So if in recent days, weeks or months you have felt challenged by this adventure we call life -- I invite you to (using a climbing term) -- "tie in" which is how a climber secures himself to the mountain when things start to get difficult. It means to "connect or be connected."
We 'tie in to Life' when we become aware of the fact that it is and always will be an ongoing journey, that at its core is calling us towards our deepest power. Some days will be easy, some days won't. We 'tie in' when we become aware of the present moment, knowing it will determine every outcome moving forward. When we practice presence, the need to practice patience becomes unnecessary.
We 'tie in' when we remember to breathe and to have compassion for ourselves and every other fellow traveler on the path -- knowing regardless of the situation, each of us is precisely where we are meant to be in order to serve our highest good. We 'tie in' when we remember that mustering the power and the courage to scale a 100-foot wall at 12,000 feet, (or start a new business, or change our finances, or improve our health) will require far more growth and evolution from us than hanging around in a flat green meadow... though both have their purpose.
As we move into 2015, life is going to continue to move more quickly, and with that rise in amplitude will come a rise in the things that challenge us. The outcomes of those challenges and the depths to which they disarm us will be determined only by how we choose to engage with them.
The mountain will always be the mountain. Life will always be life. The purpose of the journey and the attitude with which you embrace it, is as always, up to you. Regardless of where you may find yourself on the climb, whether way out on a cliff or laying deep in the clover, courage, power and grace will always serve you well if you let them.
I wish you all the best for a wonderful adventure in 2015!
Enjoy your climb!
Simone Wright, 'The Evolutionary Mind Coach for Elite Performers and Visionary Leaders", is the author of First Intelligence: Using the Science and Spirit of Intuition. She has trained law enforcement, CEO's, entrepreneurs and health care providers how to use the power of their Intuition to gain greater success and personal meaning in their lives and career. She uses her intuitive skills to assist in police investigations, missing children's cases and corporate business strategies. She has appeared on international radio and television and been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Visit her online at : www.simonewright.com.