Jacob faced many hardships in his life, overcoming challenges with his brother Esau and his father-in-law Laban, but eventually his family reconciled and he reached the ‘safe place’ that many wish to find. After all of the tests and trials that Jacob went through in his life, he finally got to a place in which he didn’t have to worry about anything and could just settle down.
At that point, the most chaotic event in his life occurred: he got the terrible news that his beloved son, Joseph, was killed by an animal. When Jacob saw Joseph’s bloody clothes, he became depressed and thus lost his unique prophetic abilities.
We tend to view the chaos in our lives strictly as something negative. But is that the true purpose of the challenges that lie in our path?
The negative things that happen to us are keys that unlock the doors of transformation, allowing us to see that there are more levels for us to ascend to. We may not be able to always control a situation, but we can certainly control our attitude towards it, and how we choose to deal with any situation. And since our life is a reflection of the choices we have made in the past, if we are looking for different results, we must make different choices.
One of the basic understandings we learn through the teachings of The Kabbalah Centre is that we are here, in this world, to do the work of our soul, and that there is always a higher level that we can strive for in our spiritual transformation. But whenever we become complacent, we stop moving forward and remain stuck in the same place. When we do this, the universe will make sure that we wake up. When this awakening comes from the outside – as an effect – it comes in the form of pain. Oddly enough, every so often it is through pain and uncertainty that we become aware that the Light is there.
At any given moment, we are either moving towards change and growth, or moving away from both. Choosing to move forward when you feel that all is hopeless –this is what breaks through negativity and what will change you forever. Moving forward is a decision to become more connected and involved with spiritual energy.
We want to reach our full potential, but are we truly able to see everything that limits us from being all that we can be? If we really wish to see, we should start by waking up every day, acknowledging that the Light is calling us towards a higher purpose. We should never get complacent with where we are, or with what we have achieved. We need to realize that there is always more for us in life, always more for us to do, as long as we are breathing!
However dark –or bright – life might seem, we need to ask ourselves, “Where do I go from here?” This question –while trusting the Light in all of our processes – has the power to bring clarity to our purpose in this world and retain our unique gifts.
So keep going, no matter what happens. Grab God's hand and just move forward.