The Journey of the Hero
Somewhere along the path of our life, we might find ourselves in a difficult situation.To really face the questions of our life. The long road of finding the connection with your Essence asks much courage, and bravery. You are a hero if you dare to listen to your deep knowing and longings, to be true to what you feel and realize and to act upon it all.
We have the choice for a life in comfort, boredom, walking away from any difficulty and risk and not hearing the quest of our soul and to be dictated by our ego-desires. Or you are going to leave our comfortable home, start on our own journey and say goodby to the path that every body walks.
1.Listening to the signs to depart
There is a poem by Mary Oliver. She describes so well that this is a moment full of temptation. One evening she says, while there was a storm and the path was full with branches and stones, I left my house. And there were all kind of voices who told me to stay home. But I decided to go, in the dark. I could not see where I was walking, and I left all those voices behind me. And the further I went, the more I walked in the light of the stars amidst the dark clouds. And I began to hear another voice and I knew that it was my own voice, the voice of my true self, my Essence. Now I was determined, to save the only life that I can save, my own life.
Tell me, she says in another poem, what are you going to do with your one wild and precious life?
http://peacefulrivers.homestead.com/maryoliver.html
Do you dare to go on the journey that will ultimately lead you deeper to your true call in life? Do you dare to listen to your feelings of uneasiness, knowing that something has to change in the world, that Mother Earth calls on us and that our love and goodness will help to heal her? Real love will never go unnoticed. Are you willing to come out of denial about the way we improverish the web of life and are part of the unraveling of the life systems, as Joanna Macy calls it. That place of pain and shame, deeply buried in our soul. We will look into it and find beautiful ways to live on Mother Earth and be in her service. Are you aware that to look for your unique call and work in the world is the most important thing to do? Come let us go and set out on the journey.
2.The Call
The sacred literature of the many spiritual movements and religions tell us about people who in wondrous ways came to know what they had to do in life. Do you remember one of these stories? The story of the Buddha, of Jesus, of Muhammed. Do not think that only such extraordinary people experienced special ways to find their call. You are as special and each human is important enough for such a story. So do not think of yourself as small: this time with so many challenges and crisis in the world is for us, who are not extraordinary, but special in our giftedness and aspirations. Take time to reflect, to meditate and to get used to the voices in yourself. Do not be afraid if there many. Listen to those voices, dreams, longings that make you happy and full of love.
There are also stories of the person who tries to escape from the highest purpose of his life. Often people will get sick, experience all kind of calamities in their life, if they run away of what is asked from them. In the Christian Bible we find the Story of Jonah, the prophet wo did not want to go to the city where he had to deliver his message. He embarked on a ship, the ship was hit by a storm and Jonah ended up in the sea and was eaten by a whale. One day he found himself again on the beach. He had become obedient and went to the city where he was sent to.
3. The underworld and the world of shadows
New parts of your emotions and deep feelings will make themselves known to you. Old wounds break open again and your seeing, thinking is no longer clear. You loose direction and you find yourself in a desert, a swamp or a dark wood. Sometimes people cannot stop crying. There is darkness and depression and often so much anger. You are lost and meet now monsters and wild beasts on your way. Your life is one big disenchantment. You have to deal with your shame and take responsibility for your choices and for all you have left undone. Now the challenge is to face the shadows of yourself and find self- forgiveness and self- acceptance. To say yes to your life in whatever ways it has enfolded itself.
4. The Most Holy: the soul is full of light again (Illumination)
Now I begin to feel my true Self, my Essence. it can be after years of darkness and turmoil, sometimes after not so long a time. I am attuned again to the journey of my soul. Only my soul knows what is real, only my soul can discern what is Divine and what Gods gift is. I know myself as an expression of the Divine. My eyes are opened to see how all is connected and I experience a deep sense of Oneness. My heart is opened; the purifying fire of my pain has brought healing and I begin to know what love is. I become more and more a channel of love. My eyes SEE the other person. And my love for myself is deep enough now so that I am not constantly seeking the love of another human. I can give love and am not so needy anymore. The heart is at rest and in peace. It is important not to become proud of all these special experiences. I have not worked for it, do not deserve it, but humbly say that this state of bliss is the gift of God for me. I need to continue my way in all simplicity and not let the whole world know that I am so extra ordinary and that I am the “guru” of every body.
5. The return to everyday life
“What do you do after Illumination” a pupil once asked the master. “The same as what you did before illumination”, the master said. To cut wood and bring the water into your house”. Do whatever comes on your path: in the ordinary is the highway for spiritual growth. There is only one way to measure it….do I grow in my capacity to love!
Now the hero is home again…..
Elly Verrijt, 2015