We all go through moments in life when nothing seems to make sense, when we doubt that very things that we have always known to be true and authentic. This moment in life feels like coming to a cross road with an option that leads to death or transformation.
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