Rethinking Personal Struggle
Intense personal struggle is part of the life of every single person on the planet, no matter how much money, how seemingly fulfilled, powerful or successful they appear to be.
Relationship issues, financial problems and yes, even the death of a loved one are all part of our universal human experience – but they are not without purpose. The challenges of human existence are the means by which each of us explores and ultimately addresses our personal growth. Personal struggle is an invitation to our own awareness.
This is a hard concept to really get but a very important one. The more conscious awareness we can bring to our lives, the more clarity we then have about the purpose our struggles play in our growth as human beings.
Most people feel victimized by their struggles and try to find someone or something to blame. Feeling victimized and blaming the outside world activates our “stories” (the ones we tell ourselves about ourselves) and causes us to see others as our rescuers or our persecutors. This triangle of disempowerment is the dance that is played out over and over by each of us. What we must do is reframe the way we think about our troubles. Yes, it is easier said than done – but it can be done.
The reframe for feeling victimized is to take responsibility for your situation, and at the same time recognize that you are not your struggle. You are infinite awareness having the experience of a human struggle.
Although there may be people and situations in your life playing the role of villain, only you can change your consciousness- and thus change your energy such that you no longer attract the situation or type of person that is causing you to feel pain. This is the ultimate act of taking responsibility – and the one most resisted.
If we continue to hold the energy of fear and doubt, we continue to call the same energy, in the form of different people and situations, to ourselves over and over again. We have all seen this happen. Have you ever had a friend who repeatedly attracts the same kinds of “destructive” relationships into his or her life?
When we say that we can’t trust anyone, we are in this loop and we are attracting people and life circumstances that embody our fears. Think of it like this: We are the producers and directors of the “movies” of our lives and we “cast” people who play the roles we need to teach us and to help us see the mirror of ourselves.
This is very important. Your struggles and sorrows are not punishment. They are your teachers; a series of invitations to look at the way you hold yourself in the world and to explore your own consciousness. When I see a client with a lot of problems, I don’t see an unfortunate victim; I see a brave soul that has asked for a lifetime of intense lessons and who has the potential for an amazing awakening.
So, the more conscious awareness we can bring to our lives, the more clarity we have about the purpose our struggles play.
Each of our lives is an incredible kaleidoscope of people and events that we attract with the vibration of our consciousness. As we are attracting people into our lives, it is useful to know that others are attracting us into their lives as well. If we can live with awareness, we begin to understand how we can be a vessel for the awakening of others. What a beautiful gift!
Remember - all of us are infinite awareness having a human experience. Other people don’t have to understand this to benefit from the energy exchange. When we do our work and personally evolve to the point where we don’t project our fears and needs onto others, we can then see others as they really are and have beautiful, intimate, and authentic relationship with them.
When we cease to see others (or our struggles) as ways to find our security and other forms of emotional fulfillment, when we cease to be victims of our own lives, we are then able to have honest interactions without agendas. Relationships then become sources for mutual empowerment, fulfillment and personal expansion.
Think about the problems you are currently facing in your life. What are your struggles there to teach you?
