It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of another year; a year of up’s, a year of down’s and a year of experiencing just about everything in between. There have been some outstanding ‘blink and you miss it’ moments entwined with moments where time seemed to stand still, frozen and silent, yet teaming with life and wisdom at the same time. There have also been moments when we have experienced both at the same time; feeling at the epicentre of a whirlwind in a kind of frozen state of raised awareness where time slowed down and sped up, and slowed down...
Although we should, by now, be used to such oscillation and vacillation in life, even the hardiest amongst us had moments of breakthrough, release and revelation at times. The undulating ebb and flow of life has led each of us on different pathways in life, but every single experience has cumulated in a deeper sense of knowing and interconnectedness. Some of us have faced some long dark nights of the soul, yet, despite these challenges, an incredible aura of strength has risen up from within, lighting up the darkness like a lantern glowing brightly.
It seems that it has been our willingness to turn and face the discomfort and the challenge that has enabled us to embrace a new level of conscious living that now feels so life affirming and life enriching. Although there are times when we feel as though our inner lantern is swinging wildly in the tumultuous storms of life, the light still burns brightly, guiding us home and bringing us a sense of reassurance and knowing that whatever life brings us, we have the courage, strength and tenacity to continue to grow, blossom and flourish.
This inner light is of course our soul; the core of our wisdom and our strength, bringing us the ability to weather the storms of life. We each have a light within and it is this light that gently carries us when times get tough and inspires us to step into unknown terrain in order to reach a point of breakthrough or release. Even though we are not always aware of this inner light, it is always within us, burning brightly. Sometimes the layers of clutter and distraction build up, shielding the light from our eyes and disconnecting us from so much in the process. It is often when we feel disconnected that we need this light the most, but the only way to reconnect comes from letting go and turning to face the pain, the Truth and the present moment.
Watching the ebb and flow of the cosmos and standing under the infinity of the universe is awe-inspiring and incredible, but one can feel exceedingly small at the same time; one soul in an ocean of souls, all seeking guidance and wisdom, insight and hope. Some stand as lighthouses and watchtowers for others, illuminating the path and offering a warm smile of reassurance; these beacons of light collectively illuminate the heavens and new lights switch on as more and more souls reach a stage of reckoning; that point when nothing feels the same anymore. There is no ‘right’ path to illuminate the light within as different souls have different pathways to touch the divinity within. There is a lesson in being without judgement, without tolerance (as that implies ‘putting up with others’) and instead being love and compassion, as we allow the lights within to come together as One.
As we continue to embrace this time of infinite possibility, we should no longer feel shaped and defined by all that we cannot do, but feel inspired to celebrate all that we are. Such a shift is pivotal as it takes us away from chasing rainbows and ever-distant horizons, to instead living life now, in this moment. As the lights within continue to grow brighter, we owe it to ourselves to use the radiance of this light to live the best life possible and to live consciously in the present moment. We can never truly know what lies around the next corner of life, so why not embrace this moment and let go of living conditionally (watching, waiting and hoping for the right moment to come) before we live life?
The path ahead will inevitably be paved with more ‘blink and you miss it’ moments as well as those ‘still, frozen and silent’ moments, and it will also be paved with even more moments that combine the two, and we have a choice now: we can get lost in the oscillation and lose sight of the light within or we can turn and face the howling winds; weathering the storms as we come alive, allowing our inner light to burn brightly, illuminating the soul and bringing us even closer to home...
