{"id":1343,"date":"2014-05-14T06:00:05","date_gmt":"2014-05-14T10:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/thequeenofmyself\/?p=1343"},"modified":"2014-05-09T16:06:16","modified_gmt":"2014-05-09T20:06:16","slug":"digging-deep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/thequeenofmyself\/2014\/05\/digging-deep.html","title":{"rendered":"Digging Deep"},"content":{"rendered":"

The shamanic assumption from which I operate is that every person has her own significant mission in this lifetime: her own path, her own dreams, her own symbols and sensibilities, her own visions and designs, her own way of learning, her own personalized hard-won lessons. That we each have our own singular life to live. That every one of us must figure out for ourselves the fullest, richest, most effective, ethical and satisfying way in which to do it; and moreover, that each and every one of us possesses the wisdom, the power and the responsibility to make it so.<\/p>\n

Easy enough said. But so many folks feel awash, helpless and worse \u2014 hopeless \u2014 floating from one thing to the next without a plan or sense of meaning. How often people come to me saying \u201cI feel like there must be a deeper purpose to life than just working. \u201cI must be here on this planet to do something special, but for the life of me I don\u2019t know what that is.\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t have a clue.\u201d \u201cI keep thinking that by this time in my life I should know what my true path is.\u201d I am at a loss.\u201d \u201cWhat can I do?\u201d<\/p>\n

There is only one thing to<\/i> do and that is to dig deep down into ourselves to find out what makes us tick, what tickles our fancy and what touches our soul. We can only discover our own truth by paying close attention to the promptings of our inner selves and to our honest reactions to the external energies that surround us. It is ultimately up to us whether we succumb to an unexamined life or try to figure out what the hell is going on inside us and around us, and to engage in it, alter, change and grow with it, so that we might fulfill our greatest destiny and dreams.<\/p>\n

We can encourage our inner voice by listening to it. For this we need to concentrate, turn off the static of our hectic daily lives and tune in to the subtlety of spirit speaking on subconscious sound waves. And most important, we need to be open and willing to hear the message. I once consulted my spirit guide, Kanin, by means of a ouji board and asked her if it was she who I hear singing in my ears when a new chant comes to me. She allowed that it was, and then she chastised me. She told me that I needed to do more automatic writing because I was sometimes so hard to get hold of!<\/p>\n

Perhaps it isn\u2019t always clear or conscious, but somewhere deep down inside of us, in the very core of our being, we do<\/i> know our authentic path. We know what we want and what we need; what feeds us and what defeats us. We know our life\u2019s purpose. It is just a matter of paying attention. We know what\u2019s right, because it feels<\/i> right. By listening to our inner voice, we discover our true intentions and direction.<\/p>\n

Our lessons, and our understanding of them, are often not immediately available or obvious to us. They come encoded in signs and symbols that seem like a foreign language. But, no matter how difficult, it is up to us to access them \u2014 if we dare. If we care to earn our sovereignty and walk our destined path, we must excavate the buried treasure of our own value and infinite worth.<\/p>\n

<\/b>It always comes down to the same necessity: go deep enough and there is a bedrock of truth, however hard.\u00a0<\/b>– May Sarton<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

* ***
\nDonna Henes is the author of The Queen of My Self: Stepping into Sovereignty in Midlife<\/em>.<\/a> She offers counseling and upbeat, practical and ceremonial guidance for individual women and groups who want to enjoy the fruits of an enriching, influential, purposeful, passionate, and powerful maturity. Consult the MIDLIFE MIDWIFE\u2122<\/a><\/p>\n

The Queen welcomes questions concerning all issues of interest to women in their mature years. Send your inquiries to thequeenofmyself@aol.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The shamanic assumption from which I operate is that every person has her own significant mission in this lifetime: her own path, her own dreams, her own symbols and sensibilities, her own visions and designs, her own way of learning, her own personalized hard-won lessons. 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