The Magickal Pen

This year has been challenging for many. These challenges have presented themselves in all aspects of our lives much of what we believed to be the stable grounds of haven have been shaken apart as we stand precariously on the edge of undeniable and unavoidable change. My post this week is one of acknowledgement of this change and my own promise to self in navigating these unknown spaces.

If I am able to come to a place of understanding about what the lesson of this challenge may be, than HOPE becomes the motivational force. Healing can begin as new Opportunity allows the space of opening my Perception and being able to fully Engage as an active participant, rather than victim.

What’s Happening and Why?

There are many things in our life’s journey that challenge our progress, test our values and beliefs and stretch us into unknown territories of new growth. We may not have control over when, how and where, but we always are in control of our response and the action we take (or not). For many, the same challenges play out repeatedly in their life and the response is “why does this always happen to me“.

This is where cultivating a place of self-awareness comes in handy. Taking the time to know more about yourself and your behaviors is invaluable and the insight we reveal can become the buoy that keeps us afloat when the most severe of storms rage un-relentless. The fact of the matter is that the more we settle into the fabric of our lives, the more challenges and joys we will encounter. It is not simply because we set ourselves up for either, but it is because we have opened our awareness to what is going on and therein lies the pandora’s box of understanding our paths that we seek, yet are fearful of what lay within.

Awareness and opening writes the pages of our personal manual of understanding. Understanding about ourselves and understanding about what surrounds and calls us to action or re-action.This is the book we return to habitually, even if we do not always clearly see the writing upon the pages. Within the chapters we scribe that offer detailed instruction about how we have navigated each challenge lay the recipe for hope. Hope that all will be well and return to a state of calm and smooth sailing. Hope that we will emerge unscathed and the wounds of our battles will heal. Hope that we will come to a place of healing.

Healing

Understanding creates compassion. And, from compassion the healing can begin. Compassion for oneself and the understanding that even when we feel most vulnerable and fearful there is an inner strength that we may call upon. Until we recognize this as truth, we can never hope to heal the wounds from our challenges.

Healing takes many forms and often what we imagine it to be is not what is received. It is presumed that there is a gentleness about healing, which is why I believe many of us do not recognize it when it comes into our lives. There is great healing in being able to release what no longer serves. At the time, your heart may be broken at making this choice, but time proves that this is precisely what was needed to sustain and support your new growth.

Healing may be the gentle embrace of another picking you up and dusting off the scars of falling flat in our endeavors, but it is also the struggle to regain your footing despite the pain of exertion and no steady place to hold onto. But, from that struggle we gain a deeper understanding of our strengths and indomitable spirit that resides in each of us. From this healing and awareness of our own power over any challenge that besets us, the path is laid open to explore in what over ways this strength may be applied.

Opportunity

Calling healing into our life; most importantly healing of ourselves opens the way for opportunity to flow. Each conscious decision born from a place of self-love creates a new possibility for being able to move through the world with clarity. Every moment of our lives is a call to stepping into the hope of learning the lessons gained from the experiences that are presented to us.

Perception

How we perceive the world and our place within it determines the next step we take. We awaken in the morning and the first thoughts that arise in our conscious waking state dictate how we will move through the day. If all that we sense are the struggles and challenges, these will be what we see first and foremost. Now this is not to say that the power of only positive thinking will keep you free of any negative life experience. But, what we perceive as “negative” and “positive” will guide much of our action.

Many may disagree with this next statement, but I believe that everything contains a portion of its polarity within itself. If we were not aware of and able to define the darkness, how would we make the distinction of what is light? If we do not understand and are able to know what is painful, how can we truly appreciate what is pleasurable? And, so on.

If this is a possibility than what we perceive as hope-less and negative, contains within it the possibility of positive outcome and gratitude for the lessons learned. Of course, holding this intention is the challenging part when faced with difficulties and what is perceived as a hopeless situation, but not finding the space of allowing this intention to be co-creator of the outcome provides the fertile ground for remaining captive in the discord and unable to engage in a productive way.

Engagement

It is our nature to move, stumble, fall, get up again, triumph and fail. This is the way of life. The key note of this pattern is action and more importantly engagement in the process. Hope stimulates that part of our being that seeks to no longer be an observer in their life’s story but instead to be the author. Engagement means you will at times be bruised and battered by what you encounter, but it also means that you will lovingly apply the appropriate ointment and bandages to assist in the healing.

Engagement is the place of choice we come to in the cycle of Healing, Opportunity and Perception. Engagement is both the ending and the beginning of another cycle of HOPE. Because, each time we step more fully into all aspects of our lives, there will be a growth-filled serving of both light and dark, and everything in between.

And, so I take you back to where I began this post- with a slightly different perception:

This year has been challenging for many and the opportunities for self-awareness and growth have been abundant. These challenges have presented themselves in all aspects of our lives as much of what we believed to be the stable grounds of haven, home and self have been shaken apart calling us to deeper understanding of ourselves and the wold around us. We stand precariously on the edge of undeniable and unavoidable change, and in that change lay the path of engagement that will promote healing. 

Many blessings that the journey be fruitful and you never lose Hope..

Another post you may find of interest:

Changes!