Empowered Lily

From Blocked to Breakthrough

So often in our lives we come across a blockage, resistance, or the simple feeling of being stuck. Those who write call it “writer's block.” Those who paint, “uninspired.” Those who do nothing in particular, “in a rut.” But what I would like to explore is the idea that we must first end up in a rut before we can get into our groove. We must experience a blockage in our lives, before we can truly breakthrough what holds us back.

Like a dam that bursts, the buildup happens first. The pressure will build up as the water searches and pushes up against all possible ways out. The water wants to reach a state of flow as opposed to stagnating. The flow will push up against the blockage testing for areas that may buckle and break. Perhaps it will even wear down on a strong foundation. Finally, the water will find a place to break through, and the blockage will disappear.

This process is the same process we go through in our lives. Whether it's when we are creating, working towards success in our lives, finding ways to create better relationships, or simply overcoming the obstacles and challenges that life leads us to face. We will often build up walls within ourselves that stop the flow and we find ourselves resisting the currents of our lives.

Personally I like this analogy, because we are water beings. We are made mostly of water and we ebb and flow like the oceans and rivers and all other life on earth. We are constantly seeking the path of least resistance, while also following a natural current, or a tendency to want to flow in a certain direction. But what happens when we experience a blockage?

When looking at the human energy system, which is in alignment with our central nervous system, the energy works like pools of water. When we experience something that leaves us with emotions that create static and resistance, we must clear these blockages in order to remain in the flow. But more often than not, many people choose to deny these emotions and leave the blockage as is. The blockage remains and with each new undigested emotion, the blockage continues to build upon itself. A blockage can be rooted deep within our childhood, perhaps even beyond our ability to recall it as a memory.

Is this process completely necessary in order for us to experience flow, and beyond that to experience a breakthrough? I can only comment on my own experience, in which case I would answer yes. In order for a breakthrough to occur we must experience the feeling of being blocked. The breakthrough is quite simply the release of the blockage.

This process, in essence, is a part of how we learn. Some of the greatest lessons in my life have been taken from the biggest challenges and limitations I've been faced with. And although these moments have not always been pleasant, when I've chosen to release the emotion surrounding the blockage and clearing the path, I've experienced some of the biggest breakthroughs in my life. From creative breakthroughs, to life lessons learned, these breakthroughs would not have happened without the natural occurrence of a blockage.

So may I suggest if you are feeling blocked, stuck, or simply hanging out and a void, perhaps you should explore why you were stuck in the first place. Perhaps there is some resistance, emotion, or even trauma that needs to be dealt with and cleared away. Only when acknowledging the source of the blockage, accepting it for what it is, and moving through it to clear it, can you experience the joy and the relief of a breakthrough.

When you feel like you are about to burst, or if there is no way out, take a moment and look inside. Ask yourself what it is that you need, want, or perhaps even deeper, what you are called to do. Once you know, stay the course, persist, and with patience, you will find yourself once again in the flow. The hard part is to clear the blockage. But, once you have done that, a breakthrough will soon follow.

Trust.

What does it truly mean to trust, and why is it so hard? Perhaps it's because you have to be vulnerable in order to trust. Sometimes it means committing to something without clarity. Sometimes trust means to open up to somebody else despite those visceral survival mechanisms that keep us closed off. But from all that I've learned my life, trust can be one of the most important skills to develop in your life.

It's funny. Sometimes we will have the knowledge within and be able to articulate an idea, knowing that it is the truth. We can spend so much time rationalizing, learning, understanding, and gaining intellectual confidence in a certain idea or thought. But, often enough, we will continue to stay in an old rut rather than working our way into a new groove, even if we know that it is the right thing to do. Often enough we lack the trust to take action even when our minds have the confidence.

Trust is the process of surrender. Trusting your intuition to guide you means that you have to surrender to your gut feeling and ignore what your ego is whispering in your ear. Trusting your heart will mean that you have to deal what feels right to you even if it's not what most people would do conventionally. In order to trust we must surrender to a deeper truth. We must surrender to the universe, and have confidence that everything will turn out just as it should.

This is one of the biggest challenges that we face today. How can we trust that everything will work out when we've been lied to, hurt, abandoned and ignored? How can we surrender when time and time again, we've seen the world that tells us that not everything is “all right?” Some of us grow up with divorced parents telling us that our relationships will work out. Some of us learn about love, when those we love neglect to show us a love that is gentle and kind. It's no wonder that so many people have such a hard time letting others in, or even, letting ourselves in to hear the voice within our own heart.

This is exactly why trust is so beautiful. Without these hardships, challenges and even betrayals, trust would be easy. There would be no effort in surrendering to something that is bigger than you and the risks that we take in our life would not take courage and strength. But by learning to trust, we get to see ourselves in a light where we are powerful and wise beings. We get to expand our ability to be courageous, bold, strong, and even vulnerable. Opening up and surrendering is much harder than sitting back and watching an opportunity pass by.

So what will it be? Will you continue to be stuck in your rut, closed off to the world and its opportunities, or will you choose to work your way into your groove, find a little wiggle room, and surrender to trust your calling? I have spent far too much time sitting back and watching my life pass by me while ignoring a deeper knowing within. No longer am I willing to ignore that inner flame, because I am ready to own my truth and to surrender wholeheartedly to trust. Are you with me?