Shift happens! We all know that. Sometimes, though, the stars align in such a way that the shift can be truly profound, and this year, they are aligned. It seems like sad and scary things are happening one after another, and just when we think we are climbing out of one hole, we fall into another one. And if we did not get traumatized by the death of the thousands, we were likely traumatized by the death of one. This year is relentless. It may appear almost cruel in the amount of worry, anxiety, tension, frustration, anger, fear, and uncertainty that it delivers at our door.
And yet, this year carries within it a powerful gift. It brings with it a great number of potentials for profound positive change. It pushes us to begin to shift. Change is often not easy, whether it is a change in our personal lives or on a societal level. We tend to gloss over our problems because they may be too painful to acknowledge. Then, when we finally begin to notice them, we often choose to deny them. Then, when we can no longer deny them, we often tell ourselves that nothing can be done because we are either too afraid of the alternative or just don’t know how to make change happen. And then finally, when it becomes clear to us that things must change, we enter into the time of transition.
Making a profound shift requires first and foremost an acknowledgment of the things that are not working. This time may feel confusing and uncertain, even plunging us into sadness and fear as things begin to come to an end – relationships hurl toward break-ups, interests that seemed meaningful before, lose all meaning, communities walk out on the street and say, “No more!” And it is at this point if we have the courage to make a true, genuine commitment to a course change (even if the exact path is still unclear) that we begin to see greater potentials emerging from the rubble in our path because breaking old things down is an essential step in uncovering the new, better, greater, things that are blocked by the old.
Potentials are just opportunities; they are the likelihoods of something taking place. Whether we choose to make them a reality is always up to us as we exercise our free will in every situation. But the potentials give us a glimpse of what is possible and guide us to the next step when everything else seems dark and uncertain. Potentials of a greater future give us hope and direction.
They say it is darkest before the dawn, but it is in this space before the dawn when the potentials for change are revealed to us. So don’t be afraid of the darkness, for the dawn is coming. There may have been many times before when we chose to play it safe and step back in our lives, but this year the stars are aligned. Have the courage to look at all of the potentials around you and see a greater future ahead. Dare to envision it first. Then begin to manifest!
