In gardening, it’s called “pruning.” A plant gets cut back, trimmed, made smaller, and in the process it is made stronger. It may have seemed that we were pressing ahead, and that our power was rising, but this is precisely when things seem to go awry.
During this period, crisis hits. Usually that crisis occurs when we are in our early 40s, as opposed to the mid-30s. In any event, many of us experience being cut down by events that seem beyond our control. And in the process, we experience disappointment and a sense of failure. The most common of these disappointments are divorce, or the collapse of a business, or financial strife. Others suffer a health crisis of one kind or another.
Whatever occurs, many of us experience life-altering setback and lose confidence in ourselves and in life. At this point, we can either embrace our limitations and live smaller lives, or begin again. We are challenged to start anew, to refine and rethink our ways, but to remain committed to our dreams.
We are also asked to expand our vision of life and to embrace a more spiritual approach to living. We did not come into this life to be wholly consumed by materialistic goals and ambitions. We came here to learn and to grow our souls. The soul shakes the cage of life during these years and wakes us up to its presence and its needs.
We are being urged by Spirit to ask a few simple questions: What is the true source of my happiness and all that I want for my life? Is it the material world, or does all I need and want flow from the Great Spirit? If the latter is true, than I must turn to Spirit for all that I need and want. And in the process, I must begin to form a new relationship with my Source.
The spirit is emerging and is starting to take charge of our lives. It is a time of transition. We once lived exclusively from our own will and power. Now we turn increasingly to God for all that we need.
The Surf of Life 