"The things which hurt, instruct." -- Benjamin Franklin
How do you respond to the problems that continually surface in your life? If you're like most people, you feel victimized. Moaning "Poor me," we get angry, impatient, depressed and stuck. We think problems spoil what life OUGHT to be. And we do whatever we can to avoid the pain.
For those of us on a spiritual path, problems and blocks are precious gifts that open the door to deeper self-knowledge. Through them, we can identify and release the unconscious fears and negative beliefs that hold us back from higher consciousness.
So what are problems or blocks? From a spiritual perspective, they block the natural flow of energy through our being, creating stress and pain. Operating in the mental, emotional and physical realms, they indicate that something within us is out of alignment with the true nature of who we are - our spiritual nature. Problems involve two different aspects of our human make-up:
- Much of our behavior is governed by our subconscious mind according to our beliefs and habitual patterns and reactions. Unfortunately, we are generally unconscious of the beliefs that sabotage the best intentions of our conscious mind.
- We also have both a personality governed by our ego and a higher mind or soul. We see the soul as a unique expression of the divine that bridges our individual physical being with the almighty power, whatever you understand that to be. As human beings, we all have some understanding of our personalities. Most of us, though, have a limited awareness of our souls.
When we are willing to face and work through our problems, we become conscious of what is now unconscious in us. We begin to see our shadow side, the dark and unknown parts of our psyche that reside in our subconscious mind. We begin to see the beliefs, misinformation and defence mechanisms we carry that no longer serve us.
We also become aware of the divine side of our nature for at the root of every block lies a soul quality seeking expression. Our ultimate aim is to embrace the opposing forces within us, the "bad" and the "good," and bring them together in wholeness. This is transformation.
From the spiritual perspective, blocks offer our best and perhaps our only path to growth. Paradoxically, we can only get to the positive through the negative. Like it or not, pain gets our attention. Pain also challenges the ego's perception that it is in complete control of life. If we want to be rid of the pain, we must do the work that leads us to greater consciousness.
So there are great blessings in problems. Our troubles come to us for good reasons -- to invite us to connect with our souls and to learn more about who we are. And we are wise to accept the invitation. If we deny the pain and strive to avoid it, the problems will keep on coming, and they'll be even more painful.
Our lives change when we become conscious that every experience of resistance and fear has meaning and purpose. Working purposefully through our problems helps us become whole and healthy. Through them, we awaken to and can genuinely express new and more powerful aspects of ourselves.
"In school you get the lesson and then take the test...
In life you take the test and then get the lesson."
Patrice Steen and her partner John Robson offer you tools and paths for meaningful growth through personal development plans at Higher Awarenesss, with online courses, daily email coaching and the free Inner Journey newsletter for personal and spiritual fulfillment.
