It seems in spiritual circles these days that there is a belief system in place that we acquire our spiritual gifts in a massive download, a near death experience, a kundalini awakening, a suicidal crisis, or some such thing. Many people on the tele summit or on the book circuit including “anointed” spiritual gurus have these romanticized stories about how they were living a normal life and then this crazy life altering experience happened.
While these experiences certainly can have dramatic effects on one’s life (for better or worse), what IS true is that if your awakening is designed to happen on a specific timeline, or by planning from before birth, or another lifetime, or for any other reason (your soul’s intention)…. it WILL happen regardless of HOW it happens. Some clients and students I’ve had have said to me that they just don’t think that their awakening is meant to be, and they look to the stories of others as example of how this transformation should look. Like they’re not doing it right, or they are not as special. I’m calling BS on this one.
Your soul’s intention to advance is the most important factor in your ability to call in your gifts—that and your being in alignment with the process. This journey is not an easy one for anyone. I don’t care how easy it seems gifts come to some people. This lifestyle (and yes I’m calling it that for lack of a better term) demands action on things we very often do not want to face or do. It calls us out to deeper parts of ourselves—helps us to recall parts of ourselves that we would rather just not remember. Like the dark nights of the soul we often experience in this lifestyle, our growth and evolution is often a hard won battle while the real opponent is ourselves. And if we really are able to look at our own shadows with honesty and clarity, and own our response to them, that is the most courageous act we can take in any lifetime. No BS there.
I do not care how many dragons you can slay with your eyes closed and your hands tied behind your back, if you cannot look yourself in the mirror with deep integrity, alignment and clarity, it ain’t all that meaningful. There I’ve said it. Call me a heretic, but I believe this to be true.
My awakening was not an easy event—it was dramatic in many ways, and yes, it pushed me well beyond my comfort zones many, many times, and still does. That’s how I know it is an authentic path. And I continue to work, regardless of how far I’ve come.
So the next time you’re feeling like you’re just not cut out for this, you’re not doing it right, and other people have it so much easier than you, remember—look within at what your resistance is really pointing out to you. It’s actually showing you your stumbling blocks. Go within, meditate, take a mini retreat or walkabout, and tune in. Relax into the energy of it and have IT show you the way. What are you resisting? What are you not willing to see? Sit with the answers and journal about it. And find compassion for the struggle as it makes you very human. And when the time is right, blaze through your resistance to the next level. Or you might find it just falls away. Either way, focus on the path of growth. Your soul’s intention will always find a way.
