In the last couple of
week, I have had the opportunity to interact with several people who for some
unknown reason have sense a loss of fulfillment, low esteem and self doubt. I
am no stranger to this feeling because I have been caught up in similar situations
several times. It’s not a good feeling neither a good place to be. This phase is
often been referred to as, “the dark night of the soul”. According
to Steven Mueller, “The dark night of the soul is symbolical for situations
when all hope feels lost–darkness has reached its peak. It’s a phase so severe
and evidently hopeless that it makes you question everything you ever thought
to know”. Not only that, but it also takes all your interest in the joys this
material world has to offer. Your senses are deprived if not deadened for a
certain period of time.
It is important to
realize that this a temporary phase and just like the darkest hour before dawn;
this time of your life could be preparing you for a greater new beginning, even
though it is a very rough and painful period of time that makes one feel like
all hope is lost. During this period of mental stillness and [1]“self-inflicted”
sensory deprivation you will realize what is really important to you in life. It’s
been in moments like these when my true values and sense of purpose were
defined. It became crystal clear what I stand for and what I live for.
In a sense, the dark
night of the soul is necessary for an individual’s growth and development. It
is the integral part of a life’s journey that turns everything upside down and
leaves only the things behind that are important for you. Without such an
experience there would be no room for growth. The three pivotal questions about
existence might arise, maybe for the first time in your life. “Who am I? Where did I come from? And where
am I going?” If you have the courage to pursue these questions you will
find the right answers that will provide you a new hope.
If you are
experiencing your personal dark night of the soul at this moment in time, it is
important that you do not give up! Don’t allow it to consume your hope for a
better future. Don’t let it take all your courage. This moment will pass
eventually, making room for something new and positive. The dark night of the
soul is the process that quietens the mind and brings the soul to a peaceful
serenity during which a transformation can take place. And one day you will
look back at what you've gone through, how it affected you and how it
profoundly changed your whole life and you will notice that it is you who has
become a source of inspiration for others during their personal crisis. In the
end, it is always worth it.
So inspiring great
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