All by myself: are you really alone on this path?

When you begin a walk along this type of path, you may not even know you've begun something that will lead you to unknown waters. That is to say, you may not realize that what you're experiencing in your life right now, be it a physical ailment, a job loss, or a different kind of turbulence, is actually a call to you to look at your life anew and find a different way of associating cause and effect.

You can trust that anything monumental in your life can be used successfully as a growth tool. What that means is that we are trained from an early age what life is supposed to look like, be like, and how we are to behave in it in order to be successful. As it turns out, there are many models that can work, as evidenced by the vast number of cultures and customs already in existence. But what is right for you now may not be reflected by what you've always believed is right.

Other people have experiences that are quite out of the ordinary for them, such as perceiving something (through any of the senses, or even just a "knowing") that they can't relate to anything they consider normal. And anything outside of the norm is often looked at as a cause for concern. To put it mildly. Or they yearn for something "more" that they can't quite describe.

What does this mean? From my own life, having a career in the computer industry, mainly in sales and project management, meant that my lifestyle was very much determined by the demands of my left brain. I knew how to organize and plan, how to connect with people on that basis, and how to go about my business day. But when all that changed, when I left the high tech industry to "become" a healer full time, then there was a considerable loss in how other people could relate to me. I no longer had the company and title to fall back on, the business routine no longer gave a framework to my day, and the travel, perks and automatic social environment supplied by the job were no longer there to support me. So I needed to redefine what living meant in the face of all these changes. In many cases, friends no longer felt that they could relate to me, former colleagues stayed away, and even my family was perplexed. People who cared about me wanted to ensure my sanity had not left me and concerns were raised about my ongoing financial security. In short, it felt as if I had moved into a completely different world and everyone I knew was still in the old one. This is not to say that the old one is wrong; it just didn't fit me anymore.

Naturally, this type of experiment may make you feel even more that you shouldn't speak about anything out of the ordinary to those around you, thereby making you feel quite isolated. So when a major life event happens around you, the automatic response is to try to rebuild your life along the very same model that it was before. And if for some reason you choose differently, you can expect those around you to be confused. So you keep quiet about your new thoughts, about the questions that are forming in your mind, and about some new experiences that you may have had that don't fall into the category of the tried and true.

I'm here to tell you that you may be feeling isolated while sitting next to another person who feels exactly the same way. The only way I was able to find people to talk to about my new and exciting developments was by venturing out, feeling the terrain, and having the courage to speak about it just a little to a few people. Only then, when the subject has been broached, can the other person feel safe in opening up a floodgate of repressed feelings and thoughts themselves, and the conversation begins.

How this all changed for me on a large scale was getting out of my regular environment. I found a few conferences about spirituality and self-improvement and found myself surrounded by a different mindset. Suddenly I didn't feel so strange and out of place. The more I was able to speak to people and share experiences, the more I learned and the more comfortable I became about who I was. It progressed to such an extent, that now I feel confident that I can be who and what I am in any circle. This doesn't mean that I push and challenge people to accept me in all my metaphysical extensions, but if they ask what I do, I present it to them in a very gentle, non-threatening way. Because I'm so comfortable with it, then somehow they are too to whatever degree they are able.

The bottom line is that if you feel isolated by new thoughts, concepts or experiences, then you would do yourself a great service by seeking others who can understand. Your growth will most certainly proceed more smoothly and joyfully. If you're unsure how to proceed, please feel free to post a comment or to email me.

Just know that on this path, there are many hugs to be had!
Helene