Your Soul's Purpose

We all have a divine purpose deep within our souls yearning to be expressed. Some of us ignore it and create distractions to take us off course, some of us deny it, and some of us passionately embrace it, allowing our lives to flourish and flow with what we know to be our truth. We are all born with this innate knowledge of our personal purpose. The challenge is to stay in tune with your soul as the years and life experiences pile on.

It's not unusual for me to ask a client what their life's purpose is and they simply answer, "I don't know". What I suggest to them is that they do know, they need only sit long enough with themselves to feel what resonates within their life path. It often takes some silent soul-searching, mixed with meditation, before they see the light. And when the light hits, all chapters of that person's life miraculously fit together like an artful masterpiece.

I've always known that my calling is in the field of mental/emotional health, but what I've come to realize lately bears a deeper meaning beneath it all. At times in my life when I felt I was taken off course I was actually experiencing the pain I needed to feel in order to help others heal. In hindsight, every painful choice was an act of courage so that I may fulfill my purpose here on earth. I am grateful for every challenging experience in my life for it has brought me full circle to joy, reminding me that I never fell off track, I simply rode among the mountains to become stronger. And in this strength, I continue to fulfill my divine purpose.

In the big picture, we are all here to love and be loved. That is an essential realization as you begin to explore your soul's purpose. First and foremost, loving who you are, regardless of chirpings from the outside world of naysayers, will illuminate the path to your truth. Once that is clear in your mind and heart, you can then begin to explore your divine purpose. Sit in the quiet, connect to Spirit, and breathe in all that you are and have been. Accept it ALL without judgment and allow your chapters to flow. What is a common denominator for you? How have your experiences brought you to where you are today? What are you grateful for? These are a few questions you can ask yourself as you ponder your purpose. Be mindful of every question, practice patience, and it will come.

You might be wondering, why is there a need to explore any of this at all? All I can tell you is I know when I'm living on purpose, and I know when I'm not. The universe aligns with me and flows smoothly when I'm reaching for my meaning. And when I'm not, the universe lets me know that, too. Deep in your heart and soul you know what is right and true. We all feel happier inside when life flows and our hearts open up to the sky. Even in dark times our spirit sees the light through our difficulties. Our soul knows this truth, and when our minds catch up it is a powerful burst of love energy.

After all, in the big picture, we are all here to love and be loved.



From the Author of ‘Living, Loving & Unlearning: A therapist’s guide to healing and living authentically from the inside out’. www.CynthiaBrennen.com
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Cynthia Brennen, LMSW, Contributor, Author. Please see Bio section for additional information.


© 2014 Cynthia Brennen, LMSW

Full Forgiveness is Felt in the Heart

                 

Recently, I had a client who told me she forgave her mother but she still had some residual feelings that were gnawing at her every time she thought about their relationship. My client asked, "Does that mean I haven't really forgiven her?" After thinking about the many years I've sat in my therapist chair listening to countless stories of pain and enlightenment, as well as my up-close and personal experiences with forgiveness, I've come to this conclusion. Forgiveness is a process. It begins in your mind and has a need to settle there for a while in order to give your brain a chance to accept and embrace what is to come. We know that forgiveness is mainly about healing yourself, especially your heart. When we release from another's hold on us it really is freeing, and extremely empowering. When the mind ultimately believes in the truth of its forgiveness it begins to travel to the heart. I explained to my client that she is preparing to travel further into her forgiveness, but first we must work through some of those residual issues and release. Once released, we then do the inner work to fill those gaps that never got filled in childhood. It is never too late to learn to nurture yourself, but first you must truly let go of the resentments seething inside and realize your healing is solely (and soul-y) up to you now. Whether your parents did the best they could, or they didn't, it's time to let that go and give yourself a fresh start.

Once your mind assimilates into forgiveness and journeys to the heart, you will feel a peacefulness you haven't felt before. Your soul smiles knowing that you have received the message of love that stands before you. All feels right in the world because all resentments have been lifted. You've let go and blown the heaviness of your burdens into the universe, reaching the completion of full forgiveness.

So when my client asks me if she hasn't really forgiven because she still has some residual resentments, I simply look at her and say, "Your mind just hasn't caught up with your heart yet." And her soul smiles.

From the Author of ‘Living, Loving & Unlearning: A therapist’s guide to healing and living authentically from the inside out’. www.CynthiaBrennen.com

Cynthia Brennen, LMSW, Contributor, Author. Please see Bio section for additional information.


© 2014 Cynthia Brennen, LMSW

The Process of Unlearning

The process of unlearning. A concept that may sound a bit strange to you at first, especially since so much emphasis has been put on learning throughout our lifetime, but if you consider the expectations put upon us by influential people in our lives, you may begin to understand the meaning behind this reversing process.

When we entered this world as babies, with the purity of our untouched souls encased in our bodies, we were completely free.  Free of judgment, expectations, and totally accepting of who and what we were.  We flailed with joy, extending our limbs out from our soul to feel and experience the world around us. We cried when our tummies were hungry, we needed a diaper change, or a good burp to let out some air.  Pretty simple.  Then piles of learning came upon us.  We needed to learn a plethora of skills just to survive in this world.  In addition, the teachers in our lives taught us what they thought were important; often beliefs they were taught and so on down the line. The question remains; is what our teachers were taught attributes that resonated with our personal soul?  Very likely, some did and some did not.  Your challenge today is to dig down deep into your soul and tune in to what resonates with your authentic self.  As you do this you will strip away the layers of all those expectations you piled on to please others.  Anything that doesn't feel comfortable in the pit of your gut is worth reevaluating in your life.  I use the metaphor of peeling away the layers like a banana peel, discarding one strip at a time.  As you do this you create room for the real you!  What would you add to your life as you strip away the old?  Listen to the whispers of your soul and you will begin to live the life you came here to live. Fulfilling your purpose here on earth.

The more you become the purity of your soul the happier you will feel walking your earthly journey. Enjoying your own path as you extend your natural love and positive energy out to others. Just as you were meant to be, living in the vastness of simplicity. To be true is to be you.

*Excerpt from ‘Living, Loving & Unlearning: A therapist’s guide to healing and living authentically from the inside out’. www.CynthiaBrennen.com. 

Cynthia Brennen, LMSW, Contributor, Author.  Please see Bio section for additional information.

© 2014 Cynthia Brennen, LMSW

So How Do We Make Peace With Our Past?

One patient step at a time.  There are a few roadblocks that get in the way of our healing.  At the top of the list; impatience and fear.  Our culture promotes instant gratification and if one doesn’t see immediate progress they often give up.  In addition, many are afraid to look at their past hurts thinking they will relive the intense pain all over again.  Often, the monumental pain is created in our minds rather than the reality of facing old hurts.

Remember, old pain is exactly that.  It is in the past.  When we revisit it we return as a guardian rather than a lost child.  As a therapist, I often will take my clients by the hand (figuratively) and guide them into the old experience.  As we meet the past pain we both nurture the inner child, reminding him that the pain has served its purpose and he can now move on.  The unconscious mind internalizes this process and then becomes ready for change.

We affect change by recognizing whatever difficulties we survived in our past had a purpose in creating who we are today.  Through every painful act, we realized we had more strength than we imagined, our resiliency increased, we became wiser, and we developed a keener sense of intuition.  All was not lost in that deep dark tunnel, rather, if used appropriately, your light continues to shine brighter with each brave step toward healing.

Once we recognize the purpose and meaning of the “dark night of the soul“, we are better able to give service and help others in their time of need.  Another avenue to healing.  Who knows better the compassion required in helping others than someone who has been through it?  Gather your passion and use it to serve others.  In time, you will realize you are serving yourself in healing as well.

Take time to meditate, sit in the quiet, allow yourself to just BE.  Visualize the existence you know was meant for you.  Enter a peaceful picture in your mind’s eye.  Notice the image before you and connect your body, mind and soul to its essence.  In time, any trauma you experienced will be replaced with healthy positivism in your life.

Continued support with a therapist, friends and family are important in laying the foundation for healing.  You will know when you are ready to fly.  Take your time, and think about how long it took for you to get to this place.  Be patient with yourself and time.  Time does heal all wounds but it is the digging that cleans out the old dirt to stave off chronic infection.

Visit that innocent child and give her a chance to live again.  Peace will prevail.

*Excerpt from Living, Loving & Unlearning: A therapist’s guide to healing and living authentically from the inside out.

http://www.cynthiabrennen.com

 Cynthia Brennen, LMSW, Contributor, Author.  Please see Bio section for additional information.

© 2014 Cynthia Brennen, LMSW