by Ross Bishop
It is a subject that has been written about more than any other, and yet it remains elusive. Are you supposed to be happy and at peace? Interestingly, the answer is both yes and no. You see, peace and happiness cannot be simply given to you because you have free will, and that cannot be violated. Therefore (and you may not want to hear this), you must decide for yourself that you are worthy of these things.
How does that happen? You are placed in a learning environment called “Life on Planet Earth,” where you eventually learn to accept the truth about yourself from your interactions with others, such as parents, partners, your kids, the wider world, and nature. But in the meantime, when you are challenged to make the transition, life can be a real pain!
The system has been designed so that there is only one possible outcome for your journey. You will eventually come to hold the truth about yourself. You can make all sorts of turns and gyrations in getting there, but ultimately, there is only one destination. And when you come to that place, you will hold the truth more firmly than any other way could have taught you. And I think it is safe to assume that all of this is in preparation for what comes next.
However, what universally happens to us is that we get sidetracked. You come in with things to learn - places where your consciousness is not complete - where you are not finished. But when we are put in situations that challenge these things, we tend to see them as personal inadequacies and move into self-doubt and shame. This is so universal that it would help to see it as an essential part of our learning process, but we get so focused on our own issues that we don’t often look beyond them.
Eventually, and often after considerable struggle, we come out to the “other side” knowing the truth about ourselves. And holding that truth keeps us from being pulled off center and allows us to find peace and contentment. “Is it worth it?” you might ask. I have had glimpses of it myself and witnessed it in teachers and gurus and would answer, “Absolutely!’ But when you are in the middle of the chaos, it can be very hard to imagine what is on the other side.
The nameless author known as “The Fallen Poet” has written a collection of works entitled Between Heaven and Earth, Poems about Losing and Finding Yourself, in which he eloquently speaks about the struggle I discuss. I highly recommend getting the book ($17 on Amazon). He also publishes much of his art and poetry online. I offer one of his poems that speaks to the issues I have been discussing:
You asked for strength
You asked for strength, and life gave you obstacles to overcome.
You wished for a clear mind, and you were thrown into chaos to find your own clarity.
You longed for growth, and you were pushed into discomfort, forced to break through the limits you once knew.
Everything serves a purpose, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
Your new life will demand a price.
It will cost you familiarity, comfort, and the people who only fit the old version of you. It will ask you to walk away from places you’ve outgrown, to let go of what no longer serves you.
But in return you will find something greater.
The right people - the ones who see you, who truly understand you - will meet you on the other side. The spaces you step into will finally feel like home. The life you create will be one that aligns with who you are becoming.
Change isn’t easy, but neither is staying the same.
You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to take the first step.
