Tough Chapters
If life were a book …
If life were a book, divided into chapters, what chapter would you be in?
If you’re in a tough chapter, stepping back and gaining perspective by wondering how this chapter fits into your life can help.
Everyone has tough chapters.
I noticed lately that I have been thinking there is some sort of finish line for self development. Maybe the Olympics made me yearn for that feeling of crossing a line, arms thrown in the air in victory.
Yet, no matter how many insights, how many ah-ha’s, there’s always something else. For me, the last two months were evidence of this. I slipped into a zone where I had lost the plot of what I was doing in my life. What once made sense, no longer did.
It can be discouraging to do so much self-work only to bump into yet another tough chapter.
Does this happen to you? Do you also have those moments of losing the plot and feeling discouraged? With all the work I’ve done … wtf?
What helps me.
When I’ve hit times like this, perspective helps. Asking the question of what chapter I’m in reminds me that this is a chapter with a beginning and and end. This too shall pass.
What also helps me is a little bit of magic. That’s why I asked my coach and tarot expert to do a tarot reading for me.
In times like this, I’m searching for solace, for answers, for understanding, and I have found that tools like Astrology and Tarot unlock some of the secrets of life.
Accessing your inner wisdom
They do this by accessing your own inner wisdom as well as the wisdom of the Astrology or Tarot reader. They help you get past your mind and the rigid rules of the world to see things in a different way. They ignite curiosity and wonder.
I find that they help me inject meaning into what I’m going through, and meaning is like a life jacket when I’m swimming in uncertainty.
We're not meant to avoid tough chapters, but to find meaning in them.
There were several cards in the tarot spread she did for me. But, this is the image that stuck with me. I spent a lot of time contemplating it.
What came to me was that I was spending a lot of my energy noticing what I don’t have and what’s not working. I realized that I had some dreams and those dreams didn’t come to fruition. I also noticed that acknowledging my grief about this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Being in these feelings are natural. Evolving doesn’t mean you don’t feel them anymore.
The other significant thing about this image is that behind the figure are two full cups. I felt the card was telling me … Yes, mourn those lost dreams, but don’t stay there. When you can turn around, there are two different full cups waiting for you to notice them. This gave me hope by igniting my curiosity. I found access to my faith, which I felt had abandoned me.
Processing the tough chapters.
In a lot of ways, this image feels like this stage of the pandemic too. Maybe we’re in a collective mourning of what we’ve lost. And, the antidote, when we’re ready is to turn away from the spilled cups and towards the full cups, whatever they may be.
If you’re in a tough chapter, finding some meaning in it can help you process it and move forward. For me, at the beginning of August I started to feel better. I’m turning my focus to the full cups.
