Urgent life events tend to awaken us to the preciousness that is right now, to the tenderness and sacredness of life. They call us to pay attention to what is going on in and around us.
So often we get wrapped up and stuck in the everydayness, the routine, the job, the this and that. The mundane and mediocre. And we find ourselves overlooking the sacredness and importance of each moment, each experience, and each breath.
So often nothing changes, until one day, something does. Sometimes life wakes us up by presenting us with events that change the trajectory of our entire lives ...
The death of a loved one
The breakup or ending of an intimate relationship
Life threatening illness or condition
Major life events and milestones (milestone birthdays, graudation, etc)
Traumatic events
Natural disasters
Children leaving home/empty nest
Loss of job
Career change or promotion
Retirement
Moving or the sale of your house or childhood home
Loss of independence, freedom, safety, etc
Powerful dreams and/or transcendental experiences
The feelings that come with loss and major upheaval often tend to disrupt our orientation to the world as we had known it.
It may feel impossible to go back to the old ways of living.
Loss trusts us into a process of self discovery and often involves redefining or reconfiguring our lives.
Have you been here? Have you found yourself in a moment or experience where everything changed and nothing was ever the same?
Me too.
And thats why I know that through these moments, we get to know ourselves differently. These experiences create massive change, prompt deep internal transformation and create tectonic shifts in our lives.
Through these trying times we begin to recognize the tenderness, the preciousness and the impermanence of all things. We sink into presence, and into mindful awareness and attention.
The grief that comes with our life experiences, may awakens us and teaches us invaluable lessons about life, love, and death.
You don’t have to burn it all down in order to “heal” or “awaken”, you just have to pay attention.
Through our deeply painful experiences, we emerge differently.
The pain doesn't just disappear, but we can learn to carry it differently.
We don't get rid of grief, but we make space for joy as well.
We learn to allow the pain of grief to coexist with the beauty of life.
Remember:
The human spirit is wise, powerful and resilient.
You are wise, powerful and resilient.
As Glennon Doyle says - You can do hard things.
And I believe in you.
We will never be right here, right now again —
Whether you have gone through an urgent event or not, what is your life asking you to wake up to? What needs your attention? How can you soak in this moment a little deeper? How can you be just a little more present?
Your life is calling, can you hear its message?
>> To learn more, download Being with Grief, our Soulful and Regenerative Pathway for Navigating Grief and the Most Uncertain Times [PDF workbook].
>> If you found this blog post helpful, we would love it if you considered sharing it on social media to help others who might benefit from these perspectives so that together we can create a grief supportive world.
About the Author:
Hayley Yarish is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), Grief Therapist, Compassionate Bereavement Care Provider, and Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®. She specializes in supporting individuals who are navigating loss and grief of any kind. Her own experiences with grief and loss have cracked her heart wide open and led her to doing this sacred work in the world.
Specific areas of focus: death of a loved one (recent or past), life changing transitions, relationship transitions and break ups, pregnancy loss, grief around family planning, and supporting entrepreneurs through the grief that comes with growth.
To learn more about Hayley or to book a session with her, click here.
Comments