“Perhaps the oldest working truth of self-discovery is that the only way out is through. That we are returned repeatedly to the same circumstance is not always a sign of avoidance, but can mean our work around a certain issue is not done.” ~ Mark Nepo
Would you like to get a shortcut, a straight line to success and happiness in life?
Wouldn’t it be nice to just get such secret remedy and skip all the pain, doubts, struggles and learning curves?
It would be, right?
Unfortunately, there is no such secret remedy. Life is about growth and expansion and most of your growth as a spiritual being occurs when you experience challenges, uncover your true priorities and values, and discover the most important relationship in your life – relationship with your SELF.
I know so many amazingly talented, intelligent and really wonderful people – men and women – who, at some point in their lives, felt lost, confused and experienced what I call a Divine crisis.
It’s an interesting phenomenon when suddenly your heart, body, mind and soul get completely out of sync.
Somehow the harmony that you experienced as a child, when everything felt exciting and possible, fades away and your body, heart, mind and spirit create a cacophony effect that you may experience as a painful struggle, self-judgement, uncertainty, and loss of direction.
I experienced this effect in my own life and witnessed it in people of different age groups from all walks of life. Many of them appeared to be quite successful and had no apparent reason to experience such crisis.
Sadly, when you go through the Divine crisis, it doesn’t really matter that you have people who love and support you, that you are smart and accomplished, that you have so many things to be grateful for.
It feels like some unknown strong forces create havoc in your inner world and all the repressed emotions, self-doubts, judgements, and fears suddenly come together in a perfect storm with you in the middle of it.
For some women I know such experience coincided with (or was triggered by?) a breakdown of important relationships, loss of loved ones, or dealing with cancer. Others experienced such Divine crisis after losing a job, going through financial ruins or feeling stuck in their current career. Yet others didn’t have any apparent triggers, it simply happened…
So what’s underneath of it? Why are you subjected to such experience?
I have come to believe that we are destined to live more authentically – either by erosion of external circumstances or by inner discomfort.
Most of us are so achievement-driven and unconsciously competitive that the illusion of external success and happiness becomes the driving force.
This force ultimately leads us to doing more, having more and not giving enough space for being more. Yes, we chase after things that we believe can ‘complete us’ while missing out on simple miracles that surround us and are part of our everyday life – music, flowers, children’s laugh, sunrises and sunsets…
I am writing this as someone who herself experienced such Divine crisis. My friends and loved ones couldn’t understand fully what was ‘wrong’ with me – I was young, smart, healthy and successful (in modern cultural terms).
Yet inside I felt unease, confusion and guilt. I couldn’t understand why I was experiencing these emotions, why I felt so lost after so many achievements.
My body, heart, mind and spirit were out of harmony and no external forces were able to ‘fix me’ – I needed to go through the motion of unfolding my way to authentic living.
I’ve realized that there is no ‘success formula’ I could apply to shorten this unfolding – I had to learn how to SURRENDER TO MY TRUTH.
I had to allow myself to experience the deeper side of me, to FEEL the sadness, disappointments, losses, and doubts. I had to allow fear of uncertainty to burn itself out and just to stay open to all my experiences.
During this time I, a notorious multi-tasker, had to take time off and get still to heal from inside.
It was a truly humbling experience… It made me more compassionate toward myself and others, more aware of my inner power, and more appreciative of the inherent joy of simple things in life.
If you go through the Divine crisis that resembles anything like I described here, I invite you to allow yourself time and space to go through its motion without rushing, or pushing, or judging. Make time to get still, scan your body and determine where exactly you experience your deeply covered emotions.
Bring these emotions to your awareness. Don’t suppress your feelings, experience them without trying to label, judge or change them.
Finally, when you feel ready, send grace and unconditional love to the area of your body that stores these feelings. Keep going through this self-healing process as long as you need to.
You may be called to go through this experience longer than you’d like to…
It may take a while, it may not happen as rapidly as you would want it to pass.
Don’t get discouraged – you will get to the point where your perspective will shift to a softer, more loving and resilient outlook and you will again experience the inner harmony and joy of living and creating.
The experience of Divine crisis made me realize that our most challenging and painful experiences become our best credentials for helping others.
Yes, I know that my business acumen, investing experience and degrees in physics and business administration are important credentials.
Yet it is my experience of Divine crisis that felt like a deadly roller coaster the first time, made me more compassionate, loving and humble.
It also helped me realize my purpose – helping entrepreneurial women release their inner blocks, manage money effectively and invest strategically so that they too develop their unique pathway to Freedom!
To Your Health Wealth and Freedom!
Millen
p.s. Download your FREE Wealth Planner HERE
In Eastern philosophy, it is said that if we are not living our Divine Purpose, then events take place to make a course correction. That’s when John Campbell’s Wake Up Call and accepting the Adventure starts by the end of which our transformation is complete and we start living the life we were meant to, quite often becoming Teachers ourselves, Millen.
Yours was truly a Divine Call to Action.
Thank you for your words of wisdom, Vatsala! Yes, it was indeed my Divine Call. And I think that our transformation is a life-long journey of expanding and heart-opening.
I love the profound quote you started off with in your blog. As one that actively promotes finding your spiritual side, I wholeheartedly support the idea of connecting with our spirituality and appreciating the simple gifts in life that our God so graciously grants us each and every day. Although I would not call challenges and tragedies in life a “divine crisis” (which makes it sound a little like God is the cause of our dire circumstances), as one who recently came through a rough few years, I wholeheartedly agree with your message not to suppress your feelings, to take time to heal, and that trials make us more compassionate and able to help others in similar circumstances. You wrote an honest and heartfelt article with some great advice; thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Julie, for insightful comment and sharing your personal experience. I am glad that this article resonated with you. And I applaud you for the work that you do in the world!
For some reason, I feel compelled to emphasize that I am neither religious nor spiritual. Maybe because I want to make a statement for others that you don’t need to be either in order to understand (or to have experienced) what you call a Divine crisis. You’ve done a wonderful job of describing your transition in this process. Thank you for sharing your beautiful story and for the inspiration!
Thank you very much, Marquita, for sharing your point of view – I certainly see what you mean. As for me, I am deeply rooted in spirituality and faith was a very important aspect of my experience. Thank you, as always, for your sincere and personal comment.
Millen, I think I may have left my comment in the wrong place so I will leave it here again, too. Out of crisis comes new order. As Winston Churchill said, “When you are walking through Hell, keep walking.” This blog hits on so many truths about inner-growth and change. Thanks for reminding me of why we have storms in our life and why no storm lasts forever.
Thank you again, Kathleen, I really appreciate your comment here and through the Facebook comments. 🙂 I am really glad that this article resonated with you! Thank you for stopping by!
Hi Millen, thank you so much for sharing this. I think many of us, even the most successful people, get really caught up in the day to day and striving and striving that it just becomes exhausting and we forget who we really are in the process. I’m in the middle of an experience myself and haven’t been able to articulate why, and I’m still in the middle of it, but I know it’s an important part of my journey and there’s a very good reason for it.
I think also that when a theme repeats itself in your life, that it’s the universe’s way of putting you in the face of what you need to deal with in order to get to the next level. Getting the lesson is essential and if you don’t get it the first time it’ll keep coming back.
Yes, Nancy, rushing and pushing through, thriving and competing gets exhausting indeed. I am glad to see that you have full awareness of your current experience… Just be loving and patient with yourself – this storm WILL PASS!
It’s funny how when we were younger, we saw life and this great adventure of the things we were going to do and have. And, then we started to live it and found life is still an adventure but one with events we didn’t plan to encounter. Whatever sets you off-course takes you in a new direction. I believe it’s wiser to learn from the unintended path you find yourself on then follow the rut of those who chose not to experience life.
I agree with you, Joyce! I would rather blaze my path and learn along the way than live my life with regrets of not taking chances because I feared the consequences and uncertainty. Life is an adventure indeed! 🙂 Thank you for sharing your perspective!