Transitions – A Question of Soul
Transitions
Our soul, our true self, is the most mysterious, essential, and magical dimension of our being. In fact, it is not a separate reality, as traditional Western thought views it, but the cohesive force that unites our body, heart, and mind. It is not a ghost trapped somehow in the physical machinery of our body but the very essence of our being. ~ G A B R I E L L E R O T H
A transition is a life-altering event, and although the content will differ from person to person, the context is generally the same. A transition comes to shake up our lives, open and move us, and shift who we are being and becoming in the world. It comes to help us, reconnect us to a sense of wholeheartedness, return us to a state of resourcefulness, and redirect us to a whole new track or orientation in life.
As perhaps you can appreciate, a transition is a major experience that leaves us transformed, both inside and out. Transitions are not random events; they are orchestrated by a deeper intelligence to disrupt and also liberate our lives.
We could call this deep intelligence by several names: Life Force, Soul, Higher Self, Tao, Buddha Nature, and Christ Consciousness. “ere are many names, but when it comes down to it, the name does not matter; the important thing to remember is that we are more than this body, this personality, this collection of ego selves, this social identity. Soul operates on many planes of existence, and Earth is but one. It is as Master Jesus said, “In my Father’s House there are many rooms” (John 14:2).
Not all planes are as dense or as challenging as this one. Beyond this plane, the laws of time operate differently. Here, time is linear, but in the realm of soul, past, present, and future are not so distinct. “is is how soul can create synchronicities, which are events in the coming future. Soul can also set up current events to heal past karma. Soul is more powerful than we realize.
In this world, soul is mostly misunderstood or goes unrecognized. When we come out of the birth canal, we forget we are light and start to live under the illusion that the body is all there is. “is then leads to the idea that without the physical body there would be no consciousness, no existence. ” This is not the case. We are sleepwalkers in this world, and a transition is there to remind us that our personality and body are not the center of the universe. “e body is impermanent, and one day its strength and beauty will pass away.
A transition comes to wake us up from our illusions and delusions. If we are worshiping false idols, then we are not honoring the light within. A transition is meant to open us to the realm of soul. A transition helps us experientially cultivate authenticity, a resilient spirit, a guiding sense of trust and faith, and a meaningful engagement with life. A transition reminds us that life is no mere set of routines. ” The soul is eternal, and it incarnates here on Earth to learn, celebrate, stretch, and grow. If we forget this, we lose our ability to smile, laugh, and cry.
Life can be hard, and most of us are taught to toughen up, hide our vulnerability, and get real. Our peers support us in achieving, chasing, and competing, or on the flip side, getting our needs met by shouting the loudest or playing painful victim games. We become used to putting on a brave face or trying to look good or maintain our cool. “is begins in childhood and kicks off in earnest during teenage years, when we are scrambling to find a new sense of acceptable identity in the world. (Adolescence is itself a major time of transition, which sets the scene for our adult years.)
Transition was once mainly a simple yet profound process of maturation. Living in the modern world is more complex. We are disconnected from our heart and inner light. Now, transition is both a maturation and an awakening process. We need to awaken to our integrity our authentic self, our inner light. When we are disconnected from who we truly are there is a loss of integrity, peace of mind, and courage. We believe what the media or governments are telling us, even though our heart says something different. Here is great peace of mind in feeling the connection to our inner light.
Integrity means not necessarily conforming to societal norms. We listen to others, and we trust our own path. “e word courage comes from the French word coeur, meaning ‘heart.’ Heart and soul are terms that often refer to the same essence. To live a soulful life is to live a courageous life. Soul is the essence of who we are. Our inner light creates a body to inhabit to live in and encounter certain experiences and lessons on the earthly plane. Our soul sets up challenges to meet and learn from. Some of these challenges originate in other lifetimes. Everything is meant to be a learning experience.
This is not to say that the earthly plane is part of some cosmic school. Learning is not meant to be serious and hard. Often, we learn the most when we are having fun and taking life lightly. Often, we learn the most when we are curious, engaged, focused, and purposeful. We learn the most when we feel loved and loving. The most powerful force in the universe is love, and when we are connected to our inner light we know this in blood and bone. Our inner light is part of the universal light. Love is a force that transforms everything.
A transition has much to teach us about love. Yet in this time frame, there is much fear and confusion about love and spirituality. There are so many ideas and belief systems and power games played with the realm of soul. This is because the earthly plane is passing through a time of great ignorance and darkness about spirituality. This is why so many feel confused about spirituality. The net result is that when we feel disconnected from soul we feel contracted, hardened, and afraid. Connection to soul is not a theoretical matter; it must be experienced in the mind and body to be truly known.
A transition helps us break through our fearful, hardened heart so that we can feel and breath the light of spirit once again. Transitions are where life shifts in powerful and unexpected ways. A transition is defined by the dictionary as a ‘passage from one form, state, style or place to another.’ Implicit in this definition is a process of transformation. Transitions cause us to mature emotionally and mentally so that we can cope with living in a complex world. They involve a whole psychological process.
Transitions help us deconstruct a rigid and self-critical ego. Ego could also be called our personality. Our personality is really a gestalt of sub personality parts. Problems come when our ego is too small a container for our inner light. Our personality can deny or resist the inner light. This creates certain problems and shuts down experiences and inner abilities that would otherwise be made available.
When most people talk about the ego, they are usually referring to inner aspects that seek to keep us safe, contracted, and shut down. The ego was not designed to be closed and fearful. We are training it to be that way. A connected, happy, aware, and awake ego is not really a problem. We need an ego to contain our inner light. Ego is there for a purpose. The problem with ego is usually that it is just too anxious, closed, defended, armored, or rigid. The ego is taught to believe in dualistic paradigms of superiority/inferiority and worthiness/unworthiness. The ego is taught to believe that chasing and acquisition is the path to happiness. The ego is taught to believe in looking good. The ego is taught that real genius is cultivated within a Masters or PhD program rather than in the University of Life. The ego is taught to be independent/self-reliant or a whining victim/martyr. The ego is not something we can change through reading a book. The ego has to be transformed, and a radical set of life experiences is one way this can happen.
“When faced with a radical crisis, when the old way of being in the world, of interacting with each other and with the realm of nature doesn’t work anymore, when survival is threatened by seemingly insurmountable problems, an individual life-form — or a species — will either die or become extinct or rise above the limitations of its condition through an evolutionary leap. ~ E C K H A R T T O L L E
There is nothing obvious about transitions. They can sneak up on us without us realizing, and they can begin in strange ways and be accompanied by an odd undercurrent of tension. How we deal with this undercurrent of tension is all important as it determines the overall experience of the journey. A transition will strip away everything nonessential and help us question everything we know about ourselves and our place in the world; therefore, a transition is often confronting and challenging. It brings us face to face with our deepest dreams and our deepest wounds. Personal transitions help us dig deep within ourselves to find a renewed sense of inner light and purpose.
Transitions are both random and predictable. Once the journey starts, within a certain parameter anything can happen. The journey contains elements of chaos, uncertainty, and surprise. This is how is must be. We cannot control the journey, which means we have to find qualities such as faith and trust to successfully navigate the way ahead.
Transition is a soulful journey; it is also a heroic one (one that is far simpler than the many complex theories derived from Joseph Campbell’s original and innovative research and thinking on the mythological hero’s journey). The journey is soulful because it returns us to our original essence. The journey is heroic because it will push us into new experiences and it will open our hearts—and in some cases crack them open, revealing inner abilities, gifts, and talents that were previously dormant.
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About the Author
Steve Nobel is known in the body, mind, spirit community in the UK as the founder of the hugely successful, London based non-profit centre for contemporary spiritual and personal development, Alternatives. Trained as a coach and NLP practitioner Nobel is a popular workshop and retreat leader as well as a sought after speaker. He also works at the London based College of Psychic Studies. For more information visit: www.stevenobel.com
