Are You Waking Up?
Five Symptoms
“Until your knees finally hit the floor you’re just playing with life, and on some level, you’re scared because you know you are just playing.” Marianne Williamson - Return to Love
There are two main reasons why people tend to wake up – to either satisfy their curiosity or to end their pain.
Like me, you might be genuinely interested in finding out about the meaning and purpose of life. You might have already studied religions, psychology or philosophy and be curious about why people suffer and what brings about happiness.
You might want to help people overcome difficulties. You may want to personally experience bliss, without using substances. Perhaps you already know about the amazing benefits of waking up, such as a deep sense of peace, and wish you had started this journey years ago.
Or perhaps you are in deep despair. If so, you are not alone, since millions of people fell into despair over the last few years, as we watched the world we know slowly implode. Many people began to question their own sanity as they lost confidence in the authorities and institutions they once trusted.
Others experience pain after the death of a loved one or during a life crisis, such as divorce, trauma or serious illness. Many people today (caused in part by the insane society in which we live) suffer with a painful chronic sense of hopelessness and powerlessness.
Here is a sample of some of my own symptoms. Keep in mind that these symptoms can also be biological, hormonal, chemical etc. so it’s always a good idea to seek professional help.
· Emptiness. You may feel a regular “ache” or a sense that there is something more to life. Even if you have a good life and do many things that bring you joy, the ache remains. You can’t figure out what is wrong. Sometimes it feels like a sinking feeling or a sense that life is meaningless. You might think something like, “Surely there must be more to life than this!” At its most powerful, it feels like a sense of deep despair and hopelessness.
· Sadness. You may find yourself in bouts of low energy for no reason or feel that nothing can bring you joy. You might feel generally dissatisfied with life but can’t put your finger on the cause. You try to shake it and talk yourself out of it but nothing seems to work.
· Loneliness. You may sense that you are all alone in the world. You may feel that nobody understands you or sees you for who you are. You might feel rejected, abandoned or that you don’t fit in.
· Self loathing. You may feel that you are fundamentally flawed or can’t seem to do anything right. You feel that you are not worthy. Not worthy of love. Not worthy of happiness.
· Helplessness. You may feel that things are beyond your control. You might feel that when bad things happen and you are powerless to make things better, maybe you feel weak or incapable.
Let me emphasize, if these feelings are lasting you may want to seek the help of a professional, even if for temporary relief.
For some of us, these feelings increase in intensity over time, and although we might try to avoid or bury them, they keep coming back. For many people, the attempts to soothe the pain through coping methods can backfire and may result in addictions to alcohol, drugs, technology, sex or work. Ironically, it’s often this secondary problem that leads people to take the path of awakening.
As for waking up, the most important thing to know is this: Often these symptoms are your “true-self” (your higher-self or soul) gently telling you that you are off course. It is often nudging you to stay on the path of expansion – so you can grow into who you really are. In this way, your pain can often be helpful to waking up.
Stay tuned.
In my next entries I talk about:
The many benefits of waking up
Why it has taken so long for humans to wake up
Why its so difficult to wake up
Thank you for joining me.