Here’s what I know. When you are ready to transform an area of your life, things will get a little dicey first. You will have to move through the proverbial eye of the needle.
(And hey, what are the chances I would find a photo that is both an eye of the needle and has an owl in it!?! Cool, huh? But I digress…)
I have seen this happen over and over again, in both my life, in those of my coaching clients, and even those in the media who are more open about their personal journeys.
This is because the eye of the needle is a necessary part of the transformation process. Some call it the dark night of the soul. You must go through some challenges and do the “digging deep” work that really changes you before you can reap the rewards on the other side.
Getting clear on your goal and committing to your transformation is certainly an important part of your journey, but it’s only the first part.
The real transformation comes in the work you have to do when the universe send you its inevitable tests. These tests do 2 things:
1) they make sure that you really mean it, and
2) they help you build the skills you need to live the future you want
What do these tests look like? Well, we’ve all had them. Perhaps you made a commitment to make better dating choices. And maybe you even started meeting better people. But the universe will still send you a couple of tests.
For example, people who are close to your ideal but are missing something key — the universe is seeing if you really mean it. You need to show the courage of saying “no” to the close enough to get to the real reward of your soul mate.
The same goes at work. Perhaps you have committed to having a better work life balance. That’s easy to say — the real work comes when a couple of really tempting or even exciting projects come your way that will demand that you work every weekend.
The process of scaling back or even saying no is part of your test to ultimately have the work life balance you seek.
And that’s what I love about the Divine. It really is always supporting the development of our highest and best selves, even when we are tempted to settle for less.
If you are moving toward a goal or a dream, know this. You will be tested. The reward you seek can only be achieved by saying no to the distractions and false rewards that will come your way.
But if you can keep the faith, and know that they are just that — tests — then you can take strength from knowing you are really close to the other side.
What tests are coming your way?
What are things you can do and/or say that will keep you focused on your goal?
And most importantly, how can you celebrate each test you pass?
Hang in there. You can do this!