Soul Respite

              We often find ourselves halted, stuck, even desperate. It is hard to understand what the sensation is when we are in the thick of it. I have "struggled" (for lack of a better word) with this sensation my whole life. As a child, as a young adult and in my full grown-upness. What I have come to know for sure and without a shred of doubt, is that this halted feeling of being stuck in desperation is the prompt to reset and reignite our next big accomplishment. If we give ourselves permission to acknowledge that these accomplishments are personal and subtle, instead of societal's version which is measured in monetary success or fame and prestige, we will more often than not welcome this lull and embrace the fullness of its sensation, because we know without any hesitation, that it is a gift from our higher Self, that is far wiser and egoless than our mental chauffeur. Our true accomplishments on a soul level come from our ability to say we are content with the way our present moment has unfolded.

          For decades the phrase "it is a state of mind" was an utter cliche that was used to excite athletes in pain, judge people battling depression and mental illnesses, justify one's motivation and enthusiasm in the face of adversity, but today we have scientific proof that the state of mind is in fact a tangible and quantified verb. Our minds are governed by our higher Self, when we have, sadly, believed that each part of our being is genuflecting to our insecure, inexperienced ego driven mind. We ought to rephrase this powerful mantra to "it is a state of Self". Each time we affirm that, we are lead by our higher Self, we automatically became more in tune with our innate intuition and sageness.

           When our bodies are sick, the best remedy is rest. We can take all the medicine a doctor prescribes and we can see all the healers that come recommended, but until we rest and give our bodies the respite it needs, the recovery process will be longer and the healing will be temporary. Such is the case with our soul. Even butterflies have to land to nourish and satiate themselves. When we are at an assumed dead-end, or fork in the road, or simply feel lost, our soul needs to rest. We can overwhelm it with all the medicine and imposed pep talks, but nothing will do the trick until we fully take the opportunity to pause and lovingly acknowledge the power of this phenomenon. The most basic ways our spiritual Self draws our attention to the need to reassess our direction are several, illness is the most common, sometimes minor and other times serious, physical obstacles, tragic events, job loss or social discontent, family struggles and relationship challenges, these are all some of the basic circumstances that nudge us to observe the doorways that lead to an essential space for growth, change and transformation.

           Awareness is step one towards change. Recognizing that it will take time, is step two. If we can intellectually wrap our minds around these two steps, the sky is the limit, and step three - making the change - is no longer a feared obstacle. Affirming in our deepest core that we are not meant to suffer, but rather our suffering is meant to free us, is by far the most empowering concept in order to start making productive changes in our lives. Some of us need to work a little harder because we've been dealt slightly poorer cards in the game called life, but it's often not the cards nor the game, it's the player - so decide what kind of player you want to be, a defeated and sore loser or a savvy and assertive player ..?