by Ada Porat | Mar 29, 2025 | Conscious living, Cope with change, Faith, Life skills, Personal growth, Resilience
Photo credit: NCI, Unsplash
Sometimes during difficult transitions, you have to say, “Enough!” to all the scary voices in your head. You need to remind yourself that those tiresome inner voices do not have your best interest in mind. It’s time to align instead with a Higher strength within you, no matter what.
We all spiral down at times. It can feel like life is punishing you or that you’re completely lost and nothing is worth the struggle any more. You may start giving up on your dreams. Your hopes and heart may turn to stone.
These are not times to fear; they are opportunities to transition into higher truth. You’re being asked to make a choice; to love and advocate for yourself in a more powerful way than ever before. You are challenged to choose faith over fear.
Where fear feels like a monolith of pain, here’s what faith looks like: You breathe deeper. You commit to be kind to yourself. You put one foot in front of the other. Baby steps perhaps, but you keep going. You resist catastrophizing. You refuse to fight yourself or argue for your limitations. And you make this vow: I will not go down. I am not done yet. I will never give up.
Sure, we all have “good” reasons for giving up on our dreams and hopes. We all reach days when just crawling out of bed seems like too much trouble. And yes, we could abandon our faith in ourselves or a Higher Power that guides us.
We may feel as if heaven has forgotten our name and the enemy is hot on our trail. And abandoning ourselves could even be considered realistic in a world that worships success.
But let me ask you this: are you really done yet? Are you completely done living, dreaming, trying and experiencing? Because if you are, you really should be ready to just stop breathing right here, right now.
Here is the other side of the coin: Having faith is not weakness. Faith does not let you off the hook, no matter how much you try. Faith holds you responsible for what you believe because those beliefs determine every action you will take in this life.
You have known all along that there would be detours and disappointment on the journey through life, didn’t you? And it is exactly when the going gets tough, that you need to take strong action, not back off.
When you vow not to abandon yourself in the pain of the moment, you draw a line in the sand. You return to the light that fuels you, and you choose to fight for your real life, your inner core.
When you do that, you’ll remember Leonard Cohen’s song that there’s a crack in everything; that’s how the Light gets in. You’ll remember that all lives are littered with rejection and ridicule and the loss of what we once held dear.
Nobody gets a permission slip to escape harsh realities, although we sure try to find that escape through our addictions and avoidance.
Here’s what to do instead. Take a deep breath and rise again. Choose to trust in the compassionate guidance of a loving Creator instead. Know that your eternal soul will bring new opportunities your way. Never give up on the truth of who you really are. You were born to choose a life that is worthy of you, so choose it!
During times of uncertainty and change, don’t let fear shut you down. Instead, stand tall, hold fast and choose to believe in yourself, your life and the Divine guidance that’s on its way to you right now.
You are more than what you’re facing at this moment: you are the sum total of everything within you, so have faith. Trust that you will find a way and the way will find you; vow to never give up on yourself.
Author Jean-Paul Sarte said, “Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you.” This is how you choose freedom: it’s the powerful moment when you resist the temptation to believe in powerlessness and victimhood.
No matter how dark your circumstances seem, you can start again to create a new life with heart and integrity; a life that would make your spirit proud. You are not your story; you are the victor who will tell the story in the end to inspire others.
Negativity blocks your potential by convincing you to deny yourself. Don’t go there. Don’t abandon yourself. Let appearances crumble, but do not give up on yourself.
Things will shift. That’s how life works. Tomorrow is another day. The sun will pierce the clouds and there will be other opportunities to thrive.
Feel free to grieve your losses but know that you never need to die to your true identity as a soul. You matter and you are loved by a benevolent universe. You are meant to thrive.
Remember your Source and your purpose, for that is where your support comes from!
©Copyright Ada Porat. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. For more information, visit https://AdaPorat.com
by Ada Porat | Feb 24, 2025 | Cope with change, Personal growth, Resilience, Self-awareness
Photo Credit: Zibik on Unsplash
Change can create a lot of emotional and mental turbulence.
Whatever you think is going on… isn’t.
Whoever you thought you were… may be up for review.
Wherever you think you’re going… you can’t get there without the rest of humanity.
The process of turbulent change does not happen in predictable steps; it lurches like wild, raw energy into the areas of our lives that most need to be challenged and healed. And yet, change can be a very good thing! It wishes to liberate us from the numbness of the known, setting us free from the old projections of our outdated conditioning.
As change sweeps through all levels of society, we’re offered valuable opportunities for personal growth: releasing outdated views, limiting habits and the habitual suppression of our true self. The winds of change wash away the old, bringing us opportunities to refine our values and to reinvent our lives in more optimal ways. This is a valuable time to recover and integrate aspects of ourselves that have been alienated, so we can become more whole. It is a valuable opportunity to heal dysfunctional divisions that we’d used to distance ourselves from the shadow aspects in others that we cannot accept within ourselves.
At our core, none of us are defined by our gender, body type, appearance, bank account, religious or political affiliations. Our true essence reaches far beyond these superficial divisions to the One Source from where we all originate, and to where our souls will again return. Our true essence always remains indivisible, unified and absolutely free.
Times of change offer us a valuable opportunity to purge the superficial divisions that demarcate the surface of our lives: me versus you, us versus them, mine versus yours. Any sense of belonging based on the exclusion of others is a false identity that cannot be sustained. Our evolution as souls and as a species requires us to let go of these superficial divisions.
And yet, letting go of our familiar conditioning is not easy. Questions will arise: How can I be friends with someone who believes differently? Can I remain friends with someone who insists on being a vegetarian? A carnivore? A liberal? A conservative? There are so many ways we judge and exclude others as not being good enough for our tribe. Thankfully, all of them are wrong, because they are based on an outdated paradigm of judgment and fragmentation.
Right now, this time of turbulent change is asking us to look beyond the gross differences separating us, and to celebrate the liberating power of higher interpersonal and collective soul dynamics.
As these dynamics emerge, things may often seem to be getting worse. The elements of darkness need to be seen with naked honesty for the destructive self-limitation they impose; only then can they be eliminated. Seeing the darkness out there is not enough; we need to move beyond the narrowness of our fears and projections to recognize the same shadow in ourselves, and to purify our own beliefs.
Judgment and separation rob us of opportunities for growth. Every time we stay stuck in the false comfort of judging others, we are blocking our own process of maturing. In truth, we are all members of homo sapiens and when we move beyond the illusion of separation, we realize that we are all aspects of the One Creator.
Purifying our own judgment is a precious gift; it allows us to see beyond superficial differences and to acknowledge the soul presence in all others. This is not the same as blinding ourselves to differences; we learn to look deeper and to acknowledge the common Source that unites us, instead of being blinded by superficial differences. Even when we look very different on the surface, we are all simply fellow travelers on the soul’s journey through life, and we are walking each other home.
People flow in and out of our lives all the time. Sometimes we feel the closeness of their presence, and at other times we travel in different directions, yet we’re all members of the soul collective on the planet right now, and we’re all evolving together. The Course in Miracles reminds us that we are all thoughts in the mind of God, and we never leave that mind.
What would life look like if we truly evolved our thoughts and beliefs? Or if we were to think with the mind of God to access thoughts that resonate with the intelligence of creation itself? Evolved souls among us who do this are aware of the perfect design of the cosmos, sometimes perceiving cycles that span thousands of years. They transcend the superficial limits of human perception to access the grand design of Creation evolving and experiencing itself.
The Creator Presence never excludes or divides, because separation is not in the nature of the One Source. The closer we move to that Source of Oneness, the more our own viewpoints, thoughts and lives will resonate with truth, not getting caught in the trap of duality.
The change and upheaval all around us invite us to shake off our limited conditioning and to return to our innate self. Inner liberation precedes outer freedom. As we liberate ourselves, we will evolve to more accurately reflect our soul potential. When we honor this sacred core in group settings, we won’t need to abandon ourselves to fit in or belong.
All of creation simply expresses Divine intelligence, funneled through the prisms of individual experience. As we liberate ourselves to think and create in ways that are not so stratified, we return to our true potential as co-creators. And the more we let go of old, rigid identities, the more we can step into our true identity as souls to embrace change and be transformed.
What would it look like for you to honor your truth more fully? Can you step away from the old attachments that defined you to make space for the unfoldment of your true potential?
May we all commit to the freedom of our souls in the midst of change, so we can live unconditioned lives of potential and actualization. These times of upheaval could be an unparalleled opportunity for our growth!
by Ada Porat | Oct 15, 2024 | Conscious living, Cope with change, Empowering changes, Life skills, Personal growth, Self-awareness
Photo credit: Frank McKenna, Unsplash
What if, instead of trying to control the process of change, we learned how to make the most of it? Change has been called the only constant in life, and learning how to flow with it can turn the very process of upheaval into a powerful ally.
When we resist the process of change, we also resist the flow of life. Our attempts to control change lock us into identification with the content of the change process instead of its context. It also narrows our focus so we lose touch with the inherent perfection of each moment as it unfolds.
Here are some simple principles to flow with the process of change and make the most of it instead:
Identify With The Contextual Field
We often resist change because we do not want our sense of peace disturbed. A better solution is learning to identify with the contextual field, and not the shifting contents of life. We can choose to focus on the larger picture or context of life, and allow the shifting details of life’s contents to flow past us without attachment or aversion. As each wave of probabilities show up, we are free to select which aspects to focus on and which ones to pass on.
When faced with a job change, for instance, you can focus on attracting an opportunity that would bring you into more alignment with your core values. This aligns you with the context of the Field, not the myriad tiny details. Then, allow this contextual focus to bring you specific opportunities to choose from. By identifying with the contextual Field, you can trust the law of resonance to bring you opportunities aligned with your intentional focus, so you don’t need to control the process.
Really Letting Go
Change can take many forms as we continue to grow into new ways of being, leaving the old behind. We may need to leave behind relationships, jobs, friends, homes or other vestiges of the old that no longer serve us. To really, really let go of the old, there may be aspects of loss and grief that need to be acknowledged.
By acknowledging and expressing our feelings of loss and grief, we can move beyond circumstances and people we have outgrown, so we can move on. It is very important to process these emotions, for it is in expressing them that we find freedom and healing. Emotions that are suppressed never go away – they simply resurface further down to road for us to deal with!
Flying Blind
In shamanic cultures, the bat represents powerful medicine. Bats do not have sight, yet dart about with incredible accuracy and speed because they trust their inner radar. You, too, may feel as if you’re flying blind amid the chaos of sudden change. However, this is an opportunity to trust your inner radar. When deeply connected to your inner guidance, flight through the unknown takes you to higher ground.
Flying blind also challenges our preconceived concepts of life. Fear may prompt us to resist change, yet faith calls us to surrender to the process, trusting the Divine guidance within. As soon as we let go, the current of change can carry us to new perspectives with grace and ease.
Turbulence and Cross Currents
From an energy perspective, any choice or action can be observed as a wave form that ripples outward in all directions. In quantum physics, this phenomenon is known as the Lorenzo Effect. Energies we’d set in motion through previous choices may continue to ripple out and back like waves for a while afterwards. As we make new choices, the old and new wave forms can clash, resulting in turbulence known as standing waves, cross currents and even collapsed waves. We may experience the turbulence as mental fog, confusion or overwhelm.
Don’t let this temporary turbulence throw you off course. It’s part of the process of shifting direction! If you can stay focused during change, the temporary turbulence will give way to a current of greater clarity, ease and understanding.
Remember Why
Overwhelm and confusion only arise when taking our eyes off the goal. When feeling overwhelmed by the process of change, simply bring your focus back to the reasons why you chose change in the first place.
It is normal for change to embody a sense of upheaval. Clashing beliefs, crashing hopes and the looming unknown may bring into question many values you’d blindly accepted before. This is a great opportunity to choose differently. You can respond to change effectively by revisiting core values and bringing your life into more alignment with your soul’s purpose.
Fine-Tune Your Compass
Each one of us creates our own reality, moment by moment. When we set our intention unwaveringly on reaching our highest potential in life, we become unstoppable. Our very being starts emanating the frequency of what we hold in mind, thereby drawing resonant outcomes to us every moment through our continuous intention.
Is change rocking your world right now? This may be an appropriate time to ask yourself whether you are living the life you really want. Are you really doing what your heart desires, or are you compromising for the security of a job, social status or acceptance? Are you deeply fulfilled and joyful, or is dissatisfaction gnawing at your bones?
Remember, your experience is your choice!
To change your experience of life, you need to change your mind about things first. If life doesn’t serve you well, you can change it! It’s as simple as that.
The more consciously you participate in creating your reality, the more you’ll resonate with the outcomes that follow. Even when you do not have control over what shows up in your life, you always have complete power over the response you choose.
Growth – The Ultimate Gift Of Change
Even the subconscious motivators that drive or sabotage our behaviors 90% of the time, can become allies to help us make the most of change. By becoming aware of these triggers, we can clear limiting beliefs from the subconscious, embrace healing for the wounds of trauma, and pave the way for our highest expression of being. This process of fine-tuning and transformation can lead to profound personal growth, which is the ultimate gift of change!
About the Author
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit https://adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
by Ada Porat | Jul 24, 2024 | Empowering changes, Gratitude, Healthy boundaries, Life skills, Personal growth, Resilience
Photo credit: Waldoon, Adobe Stock
Living your best life is all about making the most with what you have right now. Clearing the cobwebs from old, limiting thinking can be a great way for you to shine. Here are ten truths to challenge limiting beliefs and empower you so you can make the most of your life now:
1.Nobody knows why anybody does anything – and it doesn’t matter.
You don’t have to figure out why your neighbor ignores you or what happened to someone as a child to make her so mean. We humans are products of both our nature and our nurture – most of the time, we do things simply because we can. Trying to figure out why keeps us stuck in the past, so stop the over-analysis. Let it go, be here now and don’t take things personally!
2. Nobody owes you a thing.
Life is a precious gift, not an entitlement. You could never repay the time, love and support it took to get where you are today: loved ones, teachers and peers believed in you, challenged you and pushed you to become who you are. So, the real question is not what you can get from life, but what you are giving back in return.
3. You’ll be balanced when you’re dead…
Not a moment sooner! We chase balance like the Holy Grail, but it is the very cyclical nature of change that adds momentum to life. If you’re passionate about something, you may well want more of it in your life, so go for it. Your kids won’t turn into losers if you miss a few softball practices, so ease up on yourself. Learn to surf the waves of change with inner equilibrium instead.
4. Multi-tasking is an oxymoron.
Don’t be intimidated by people who do five things at once. Studies show that we don’t actually do more than one thing at a time – we simply switch our attention rapidly between projects, and we compromise on the quality of our output. Would you feel comfortable with a surgeon who juggles performing your surgery while texting and making phone calls? Choose to be masterfully present with one thing at a time instead of trying to be a jack of all trades, and you will ultimately be more effective.
5. You don’t deserve anything you have.
If in doubt, go back to #2. Entitlement is really unattractive. No matter how hard you’ve worked or planned, it is delusional to think that you are in complete control of the outcomes. God, circumstance, the actions of others, and timing all play big parts in your success, so skip the entitlement and practice gratitude for what life brings.
6. You’re ordinary.
Relax, it’s a compliment! Ordinary people are reliable, industrious and consistent. Superstars often lose their inner freedom to the demands of fame, especially when their egos take over. Who would you rather call at 2 AM when your car breaks down – Tony Robbins or your brother-in-law?
7. You’re not a victim; you’re a volunteer.
The old saying that nobody can take advantage of you without your permission is true. We teach people how to treat us. If you don’t want something to happen anymore, don’t set it up in the first place. You change your life by changing yourself first.
8. You’re right. Life isn’t fair.
Life is more random that we could have ever imagined! It is also interesting and instructive when you keep an open mind, for it is from the seemingly random dynamics of change, that miracles emerge and possibilities show up.
9. There is no perfect time.
There is no place where time stands still and standards are lowered to keep you in your comfort zone. At any point in time there are only three things present: you, and life, and this very moment. What you make of this present moment, is up to you. What are you doing with your life right now?
10. Gratitude is next to Godliness.
Cleanliness is way down the list! I have yet to encounter someone at the end of life regretting the dust on their furniture or the stains on their windows… but many regret the opportunities for gratitude they passed up. Eckhart Tolle puts it this way: “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” Look for things you can be grateful for and you will be amazed at how many more blessings show up.
About The Author:
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit https://adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
by Ada Porat | Mar 20, 2024 | Conscious living, Cope with change, Empowering changes, Life transitions, Personal growth, Spirituality
Photo credit: Max LaRochelle, Unsplash
These are tumultuous times, and the winds of change sweeping across the planet continue to bring more volatility. Everything—yes, every area of life— is being ramped up so at times it can be difficult to manage it all: the energies, the events, the people. And yet, there is also a fecundity to it, offering multiple opportunities and support for creativity and personal transformation. It all depends on where we focus our attention as individuals.
The outer turbulence has also dredged up and exposed our collective shadow for all the world to see: all the deeply held fears, prejudices, judgments, resentments, and limiting beliefs that have led to corruption and abuse, sabotage and subjugation of humanity for millennia. These shadow aspects, when faced and healed, bring renewal. When denied and resisted, they perpetuate suffering. We can and must choose our response as part of a massive, multi-decade transformation of humanity.
Both as individuals and as a collective, it is time to ask ourselves, “How’s that working out for you? Are you living up to your highest potential?” We have big choices to make about who we are and want to be.
For those who do not yet understand the bigger picture, the tumult can result in existential terror as they fear the loss of old forms of security. When the shadow is exposed, former heroes are seen as having clay feet. We’re learning that our leaders and heroes can’t or won’t fix things, so bringing about meaningful change is up to each one of us.
This does not need to be a time of despair. Despite the external challenges we face, there are plenty of actions you can take to stay focused, balanced and at peace on your path.
Unplug and Let Go
Immersing oneself in media coverage as all the drama and distraction play out, is not helpful – it simply perpetuates the emotional roller coaster. Instead, we can exercise our autonomy by detaching and letting go of the collective brainwashing.
It is helpful to remember that all media outlets have their own agenda and bias. They know that sensationalism, catastrophizing and fearmongering pull in viewers and boost ratings. Their use of subliminal seduction creates media addicts who become hooked on the adrenaline rush. Anything that creates fear, pessimism, or despair is best turned off!
Replace these dense energies with better support so you can keep your mind at peace and stay centered in your heart. Creativity, connection with others, dancing, singing, laughing and finding joy in simple things serve us much better. Continually choose love and inner harmony over fear; lean into compassion and kindness rather than judgment.
Cultivate Self-Awareness and Inner Peace
When the outer world is in chaos, the most important place to go is within. Find the calm center in the storm and return there often. Invest less emotional energy in external events outside your control and pay more attention to things you can help change for the better. Where can you offer forgiveness or support to others? Take actions that have an impact. Helping others feeds the soul and lifts our vibration.
We heal our world one person at a time, starting with ourselves. It requires emotional detachment and self-awareness to release our expectations and the illusion of control. As we do this work, we are letting go of what no longer serves so we can consciously work with the Universe and each other. Now is the time to release our inner resistance so we can embrace the gifts that change offers us.
Master Discernment
Discernment is an essential skill that each of us needs to master so we can align with truth and understand the deeper meaning of life.
When we lack discernment, we are vulnerable to false promises from fake messiahs. We may get lured into false promises of security, fanaticism or forms of self-destructive behavior.
Cultivating discernment enables us to recognize truth and to access optimal guidance. During this transitional time, artificial intelligence and sophisticated deep fakes make it more difficult to discern what is real. Likewise, dense emotions of fear, anger and anxiety can function as a type of psychic interference that makes it more difficult to access our inner truth.
It is also important to discern the true nature of people we interact with by paying attention to their actions, rather than their rhetoric. Give it the heart check: Is the person spreading kindness and unity or polarizing others by spreading anger and fear? Always choose love as your baseline and watch what others choose. This way, you will know how to respond without giving your power away.
Regardless of outer circumstance, there is profound support for every effort we make to go within and find answers and truth. We can use this support to do our own work of transformation so we can be empowered to support larger waves of transformation around the planet.
Live in Integrity
The energetic environment around us at this time asks us to return to integrity: living in a way that is whole and integrated, cohesive, and internally and externally consistent. It calls for us to purify our thoughts and actions, and to bring our lives into alignment with truth so that we can become resilient. Anything that is out of integrity—people, relationships, groups or organizations—will continue to break down to make space for higher levels of being to emerge.
Internal consistency is crucial during this process. It is very helpful to check and establish consistency within yourself: between your thoughts and emotions; your inner principles and your outer actions. If we claim to be spiritual and loving while hating those who don’t believe as we do, we are not in integrity. We cannot claim peace while bullying, criticizing or raging against others. These discrepancies in our values are not sustainable if we wish to evolve. The great growing-up of humanity at this time requires us to become more self-responsible, authentic and integrated in all aspects of our lives.
Life is What You Make It – Make it Full of Love
Remember that the past, the present and the future — all of life — is not about what happens to you, but what you make of it. Everything we need, and all the solutions we seek already lie within us.
You can make your life flow easier by always focusing on what you choose to happen, rather than what you fear might happen or don’t want. Your attention is a powerful laser of Creator energy, so be careful where you point it! Whatever you focus attention on, will grow.
Always remember that worry and guilt are useless energy drains. They don’t help create anything beneficial, because they add fuel to what you don’t want.
During this time, it is helpful to remember the admonition of the Hopi elders who told us to let go of expectations and the illusion of control. Surrender the old forms of security to which you still cling and embrace the unknown journey you’ve been resisting. Simply accept what is, and know that all is well in the Master plan. We’re all on this journey together, and it could turn out to be the most magnificent one ever!
©Copyright Ada Porat. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. For more information, visit https://AdaPorat.com
by Ada Porat | Oct 30, 2023 | Cope with change, Fear and anxiety, Peace, Personal growth, Resilience, Spirituality
Photo credit: Greg Rakozy, Unsplash
We all yearn for peace, yet the world is embroiled in endless wars. At this moment, there are powerful forces at work in our world, guiding us toward a deeper understanding of ourselves, our true nature and our potential for inner transformation. These forces are akin to a cosmic tide, inviting us on a profound journey of self-discovery. It’s as though we’ve been sailing on autopilot through different aspects of our lives, and now we’ve reached a pivotal point. The direction we choose from here is critical, as it holds the key to our growth and/or survival.
As the cosmos moves, so do we. Energy is constantly in motion, and it demands direction. Our personal evolution, much like the cosmos itself, relies on our ability to consciously channel our raw, untamed energy in a way that serves our personal growth and the common good.
In a world that seethes with chaos, where does peace come from? Peace comes from a vision that is clear and pure, that comes from the other end of the violence, from a place where we are no longer holding onto the darkness that obscures our minds. Peace comes from the Source of life and love. It represents the totality of truth that we all yearn to return to.
Our deepest, most vulnerable emotions are a part of this challenge. How do we respond when we find ourselves grappling with intense, dark, and deeply buried emotions? When these emotions surface, we can feel violated, betrayed, or victimized. They bring us face to face with our own inner darkness, which can be as unsettling as it is transformative.
This darkness within each of us needs to be acknowledged. It’s an essential part of our journey toward self-realization. Let’s not judge or shy away from it; after all, feeling overwhelmed at times is natural when we navigate challenging life transitions.
So by all means acknowledge the overwhelm, and then muster your determination to do the work! Determination is a powerful driving force. When channeled in service to spirituality, it helps us delve deeper into the unconscious aspects of our beings and to heal our wounds by exposing them to the light of truth. The turbulence on the surface of our lives is asking us to tap into our soul’s desire for growth and healing instead of getting lost in the shadow emotions of fear, denial or shutdown. We face a clear choice: either heal and evolve or succumb to the darkness of fear, hatred and despair.
As our inner darkness is revealed, it dissolves because when a shadow illusion is brought to the light of awareness, it simply ceases to exist.
The challenges of this time call for unwavering determination to champion our own spiritual growth, whatever the cost. Always remember that it’s during the most triggering and challenging moments that our most significant growth potential emerges. When we embrace discomfort and face it head-on, we set ourselves free. When we fail to do so, we contribute to the conflict we witness in the world. We can – and must – do better than that!
As we move forward on this transformative journey, there will be many opportunities for deep healing and transformation, first on the personal level and then for the collective. Courageous hearts look beyond the current upheaval to the potential beckoning beyond.
Upheaval disrupts the status quo to make way for something new. It can feel scary when we take our eyes off the goal – letting go of what no longer serves to create space for something new. And yet, letting go only hurts when we try to assert our personal will and resist the unknown. Instead of clinging to that which has outlasted its purpose, we are advised to let go of the old, to trust in the master plan of life, and to focus on optimal outcomes beyond the current upheavals.
During these challenging times, old resentments and unhealed wounds tend to resurface: our insecurities, fears and memories of injustices suffered. These, too, serve a purpose.
Their sting reminds us to nurture compassion and tenderness in the very places where we’ve experienced great suffering. The ongoing tragedies in Israel, Gaza, the Ukraine and elsewhere are reminders of old wounds that have refused to heal. Whatever we do not resolve, we will recreate until we do – both as individuals and as a collective.
Times of upheaval not only reveals our unhealed wounds; it also reveals where we continue to inflict pain on ourselves and others. We recognize this recurring theme in our personal lives, families and communities. Whatever remains unhealed within us perpetuates suffering, both for ourselves and those around us. As a result, the suffering around us calls for healing at all levels, starting within each one of us.
Even when situations in our lives appear too broken or wounded to fix, healing is possible. It simply requires courage and honesty, along with trust in the innate intelligence and timing of our spiritual journey.
On the spiritual path, times of exploration and discovery alternate with times of integration and consolidation. As the process evolves, it emphasizes particular aspects of our spiritual development. Such emphasis leads to an exploration of deeper existential wounds that call for healing. We are brought face to face with the warring factions within ourselves, as well as between us and others. This is an opportunity for profound healing, which can pave the way for emergent spiritual gifts and service.
It is also important to note that during times of conflict, we tend to regress to more primal behavior: destruction seems justified, and words become weapons. Blame and shame may dominate our interactions as we reduce others to the worst aspects of their nature and so justify our own behavior. This can cause collateral damage to innocent individuals and the world around us.
Reflect, for example, how overwrought parents have allowed the battles of their adult lives to encroach upon their children’s innocence. And have we not all witnessed the pain that stems from our parents’ conflicts? It’s important to remember the delicate inner child within each of us and the ease with which we can disregard or wound that innocence.
War is far from a tidy affair; it’s a destructive force that can’t be controlled without unintended consequences. In our pursuit of what we regard as true, we may inadvertently cause harm to countless innocents. Hatred can masquerade as bravado or superiority over others to justify cruel actions. It is easy to forget that perpetuating violence is not a path to true or lasting peace.
Our world, both within and around us, is repeating the same message. It calls out for compassion, forgiveness and inclusion. What we choose to ignore or exclude doesn’t vanish; it will linger on until appropriate conditions bring it to the surface to be dealt with again and again.
For healing and transformation to happen, disclosure must take place. However, when we fixate on the wrongs, gloating in collective judgment and hatred of the darkness, we are no better than that which we despise; we energetically link to the very wrongs we fixate on. True transformation requires us to move beyond what’s wrong and to focus on the potential beyond the disclosures so we remain focused on doing the necessary work to heal and evolve.
True healing also requires us to transcend the need to be right or to exact revenge. It takes place in the field beyond right and wrong, as Rumi put it. It comes from the Source of love and life, and it holds the answers to our deepest questions. We don’t need to fully understand the process to embrace it; we simply need to trust in the Power that brings it about.
This human journey is far from easy, and difficulties are plentiful. When we see no clear solution, it indicates that we must seek solutions beyond our old, familiar patterns. The path to peace may not be straightforward, but it is worth pursuing. As each of us evolves on our spiritual path, our self-realization becomes our most significant contribution to a peaceful world.
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