In this age of communication through social media, text and email, it’s easy to communicate.

Sometimes, it is also much more difficult.

When we meet someone face-to-face that we have been dialoging on social media with, in person, after much social media banter, things can become…well, awkward.

Especially for an introvert.

Although it may appear that I am extremely extroverted and social to most of the people I know, I actually am quite the introvert.

Introverts replenish their energy being alone, while extroverts do so with others. Sampson, my cat is my best friend.

I can be quite uncomfortable around others—even people I love dearly. I believe that this is due to a lack of true connection—to one’s own soul and to one another.

Here is a paradox for pondering: have you heard of The Law of One, the concept that we are all the same? Although separate, we are all One entity, stemming from One divine source moving through reality on our own.

All of my life I have been put in a place where I feel “forced” to be in social situations, including my profession. (I am a hairstylist) So, why don’t I just retreat and be alone? I think of this at times. I could write, do art, something I could do being more on my own. Things that I also love to do and am good at, that I could create as a full time profession.

So I tried it. The universe said… Nope. Very quickly, doing such things full time did not work out so well.

If I am in charge of my life, why does this topic come up daily in my mind?

The answers:

Growth. Soul refinement. Learning.

Doing what makes us most uncomfortable, pushes our boundaries and limits sometimes creates the pressure to turn coal into a diamond.

As I look back, I am extremely blessed that I haven’t run and hid from this pressure, and I have many amazing people in my life because of this!

If I hadn’t have pushed myself to be somewhat uncomfortable, I would have missed out.

It’s still a daily challenge to balance alone time with a social life.

The moral of this story is that we much push ourselves beyond our comfort zones and limits. We must learn to recognize self-imposed fears and beliefs. The Vajrayana Buddhist tradition teaches us how to watch for our soul to unfold as we walk into the fire of our deepest fears.

Below is a poem I wrote continuing on the subject of the journey of Soul Refinement and awakening. It concludes the duality of the thought that as we continue to learn and grow, maybe we really know nothing at all. True learning is always staying open to the possibility that something new can come along and shift what you thought you knew, into something new.

Learning to know Nothing

Eye have learned what the true lesson of life is to be learned.
For this soul of mine, which is the soul of yours.
Eye would wake up each day with three minutes of utter angst and anxiety.
Eye figured out why.
The disconnection of source and the soul.
It was intensely painful.
It took much trial and error to figure this out. Many “mistakes” and sacrifices offered to the Gods.
The Gods being within.
Then, when Eye found my soul, Eye still wasn’t satisfied.
Eye had to dig into my own subconscious and conscious mind, so much so that Eye nearly lost it.
Eye realized that the farther from reality Eye was, the closer to the universal principle of a connection Eye was.
If Eye was to stay there, Eye would surely die.
Death is the only way to achieve true soul refinement.
So Eye died.
Then rose again and decided to take what Eye have learned and show others.
Others whom are Eye.

So here Eye began a new life and journey to learn what the true lessons of life are.
And Eye found it, yet again.
Eye would feel and be aware of the angst and anxiety of other souls. Other souls whom are me.
Then, Eye figured out why.
Eye figured out that we are all so disconnected from each other.
This disconnection causes discord of our true source.
And our soul.
It is immensely painful.
It took much trial and error to figure out the reason.
Much sacrifice to myself and many boundless boundaries placed.
When Eye found these answers, Eye still wasn’t satisfied.
Eye had to dig into the subconscious and conscious mind of others.
Others, whom are Eye.
We nearly lost our minds.
We realized the farther away from reality we were, the closer to divine universal connection we were.
That connection was a cord to each other.
If we stayed there, we would die.
So dead we are.
Soon to rise again and know that through all this learning and growing…
We still know nothing.

 

 

Relephant: 

6 Ways having a Daily Gratitude Practice Changed my Life.

 

Author: Jayme Giordano

Editor: Renée Picard 

Image: via the author