Sometimes the feeling of being stuck can be overwhelming. The paths we take in life are always interesting to notice. The universe gives us exactly what we need to deepen our lessons and evolve. At the same time, we also make a conscious hand in creating our path before us. In my shamanic healing practice, I have noticed patterns or journeys you might say that many of us walk at some point in our life.
Think of witnessing a friend or acquaintance who is seemingly lost- or maybe not quite lost, but you can tell they are sort of walking beside their path, but they aren’t really on it. I love watching when things all of a sudden just seem to click; they find their path and they rise, almost like a phoenix. You can watch them get filled up with power, assurance, inspiration, and love as they ascend. Sometimes that is a spiritual choice, often we see it in the work people choose to do, like a career change or something. What is that? What is that mechanism that allows things to click and for a person to just take off?
More often than not, I’ve noticed this flip, this leap comes after a period of feeling not so great. It might be a period of self-doubt after experiencing some trauma, or it might be depression after reaching some point you were striving for, yet feeling somehow empty inside once you’ve achieved it. Imagine a spider web. It is one you have created, carefully woven and once it is all complete, you find yourself stuck in the center. You know there is more, but you aren’t sure what it is or what to move towards.
In the most extreme cases, it is the downward spiral. Dissociation or denial from your inner world, followed by actions that do not support or possibly harm your health, followed by a desire to escape. It can look like giving up and it can also look like reckless behavior. It is usually an attempt to make a change, to create space or movement but is fed by an unconsciousness that leads you away from mindful actions and choices.
So there you are. You are stuck in the middle of the web. You are the victim and you are the predator. You are gobbling yourself up.
But then you wake up and you see that the other side of this web is in fact creation. What is the inverse of the downward spiral, what would it look like if we flipped this mechanism on its head? The downward spiral becomes the upward spiral. It is the moment that our lowest points give birth to our genius. And the thing is, this isn’t just a one-time moment in life. This happens repeatedly, throughout your lifetime, and across lifetimes.
When you find yourself at the bottom of the pit, close your eyes and listen, because you are likely right on top of your genius and ready to welcome the web of creation.
Take a breath and lean in.
It is a big moment.