The Labyrinth of Life

In the movies a hero's journey is never smooth or easy-going. There's always an obstacle or challenge or dark enemy to face. Indiana Jones and Luke Skywalker are such memorable characters because of this: for the opponents and adversities they've had to face and triumph.

Each one of us is on a hero's journey. Firstly, to find our inner truth. Secondly, to determine how we can live a life of balance according to that truth. Truth means different things to different people: we each have our unique energy signature and expression. But ultimately, it's all about finding ourselves, identifying what gives us joy and meaning, and how we can use that to live a more rewarding, purposeful life. For those that have "awakened", they know it's about tapping into our "gifts" and/or our "experiential wisdom" and offering these in service of others. That is the ultimate reward. We do not enjoy living life gratuitously, focusing on our own material gains and needs. We gain most from life by being able to share, contribute and lift others up (whatever expression or form that may take).

But the journey is fraught. It's fraught because we still operate from a consciousness of limitation and doubt and of believing that adversity comes towards us and not from within us. I've struggled with the latter, especially when I lost almost my entire pension and the roof over our heads as a result of investing in a second coffee shop business in 2013/2014 and again when I lost thousand of pounds last September due to a forced relocation of my therapy business following an almost overnight hotel closure. It's easy to allow ourselves to believe that they were circumstances or conditions that were beyond our control.

But what if the challenges were meant to be? A prompt to reach deep into our soul and find a higher level of significance to these events. We really create our reality through our interpretations and the meaning we give things, which in turn influences our behaviours and actions. So when it comes to finding the meaning in adverse circumstances isn't it better and more rewarding to believe that they were there to help and guide us onto a better or higher path rather than to hinder us as we would perhaps prefer to believe?

In my case, if I hadn't had the business and financial failure, I would never have explored self-development, holistic therapies, and spiritual development with the Energy Alignment Method. And I wouldn't be here today writing to you and sharing my wisdom and knowledge about self-empowerment and accessing the intelligence and creative forces of Universal Mind. I wouldn't be starting an incredible new business venture (adventure) called Thriving Communities: a communities interest project that aims to transform communities in South Wales by spreading the message of self-empowerment through positive psychology and understanding the creative forces of our energy.

Also, let's look at other more well-known examples. Remember the horse jumping accident that left Christopher Reeve (Superman actor) paralysed in 1995? At one point soon after he regained consciousness he wanted to take his life, but then he chose to use the accident to create new focus and direction in his life. He went on to set up the Christopher Reeve Foundation - an entity that paired with the American Paralysis Association in 1999 to become the leading organisation for research and advancement in a field once called "the graveyard of neurobiology." In this endeavour he aimed to reset expectations for what a quadriplegic could accomplish.

Another famous story is that of Candace Lightner, whose daughter was tragically killed by a drunk driver, who had an existing DUI hit and run on his record. Rather than sink into grief and despair (which she might have done in the initial period), she then chose to turn her grief into fuel to launch a US-wide movement of brave and resilient women called M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers). This organisation is aimed at preventing similar tragedies by educating the public on the dangers of drunk driving as well as influencing law-making with regards to drunk driving and driving under the influence.

What if you start making your mind up that everything, even the seemingly bad, is not what it really seems, and that there is a bigger scheme or plan for us? When we choose to think from the vantage point of "how can I learn from this and how can I use this to extract new meaning in my life?", then we advance to a new level of awareness, understanding and truth. And remember my truth is not your truth, it's a construct of meaning we create for our lives.

Furthermore, the so-called or perceived "bad" is there to give us context and contrast. If you've read Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch you'll know that there is no day without night, there is no light without darkness, there is no good without evil. The contrast is what makes life so rich and nuanced. It's all about the lesson, the gift in the pain. But we're not here to languish in suffering (perpetuating the pain), but in using it as a signal or prompt to lead us onto another or higher path of creation and purpose. And when we do reach our goal, the rewards are all the more sweet if we've had to struggle or had to overcome adversity to get there.

So many successful people have not attained their sweet rewards without having gone down some dark, convoluted or dead-end track. Because every failure, pain or lesson is an integral part of building resilience and character strength. It's there to nudge us towards a greater level of awareness, consciousness and contribution.

Here are some memorable quotes that may inspire and help you:

What you become depends on what you can overcome - Anthony Douglas Williams

Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life - J K Rowling

In addition to the dead-ends and convoluted twists and turns, there are the shortcuts in the maze. I call these shortcuts "miracles" or synchronicities that happen when we're accessing Universal intelligence. This only happens when we're 1) in a higher vibrational state of unconditional love, gratitude and peace and 2) in a state of fullest trust and confidence that the journey we're on is guided and that we're supported by a higher intelligence (the Universe/God). We understand that all is well and is taken care of without needing to be attached to the how and when. This is the concept of spiritual surrender. As soon as we let go of the rigid control, the need to contrive or force an outcome, we enter the flow zone. We allow positive energy to weave in and through us to create a magical dance of creation. This opens the door to positive manifestation.

If you're struggling right now, try the following questions. Can I change the meaning I've given to this situation/scenario? Can I construe a positive from it? What can I learn from it? What is the seed of insight and wisdom I need to sow and cultivate? Challenges usually are there to instruct us: to change the way we are thinking and feeling or simply to adopt a different course of action.

Need help to find the way through the maze? Just have a chat with me. My door and heart are always open. Book a call: www.calendly.com/esther-788/30min .