We're familiar with the idea of renewal. For example, we might have to renew our car insurance every year. As we head into Spring, we see renewed life in lighter days and the sound of birdsong. But is it possible to renew our life path? I hope so. This is the theme I've observed over the past month, in clients and in my own personal development. The signs of personal renewal are illustrated by patterns seen in people's lives and the Journey Gateways that have come up in Pathway Balancing sessions.
From One End of the Spectrum to Another
Personal renewal can take many forms but two distinct methods have stood out this past month. For some people, maybe for a season, there is a need to withdraw and rest as completely as possible. Usually I see this happen as a result of ill health or an extremely stressful event in life. It seems rare that people in our culture will allow themselves time and space to really rest. I hear people with back pain or 'flu-like symptoms boast that "I don't let it stop me." When the problem drags on or worsens, there's little awareness of the connection between illness and lifestyle choices. So one end of the spectrum of renewal of your life path could be to take regular time out to refresh and recharge. Key rhythms in the natural cycle are: every seventh day - the Saturday Sabbath; every month, or moon cycle; and three times a year, perhaps Christmas, Easter and in late Summer or Autumn.
The other end of the spectrum of renewal is to come out of your cocoon and make more contact with other people. Relationships are vital to our wellbeing, yet can also be the biggest source of wounding and general difficulties in life. A healthy lifestyle includes good people in a variety of relationships: cheery acquaintances; mates or work colleagues you can laugh and chat with; closer friends to share the deeper joys and pains of life; and a special person to know and care for each other intimately. Sharing your life with a spectrum of varied individuals keeps things in perspective and reminds us of the value of human life.
The Heart and the Rainbow
The Pathway Balancing Journey is all about renewing our life path. The material in the manuals shows us where we are stuck in the same old cycles, then shifts the energy to enable us to move on in a fresh direction. Of the 60 Gateways on the Journey, Gateway 10 is called 'Renewal of Life Path' and the symbol on it is a Heart. Behind the Gateway is a Clearing that's about 'Reclaiming the part of ourselves that we lost on the journey'. So if our heart has been wounded in some way, maybe through loss, disappointment or harsh treatment from others, we may need either time out, or new connections, in order to heal and renew ourselves and our lives.
Gateway 44 is 'Knowing Our Principles and Leading With the Heart'. We can clarify and renew our personal principles by taking time out to reflect on the things that really matter to us in life. This can be a valuable discovery after times of wounding to our heart. Being hurt, or feeling low, is a normal part of life's journey but these difficult experiences can become our treasure. Once we know what really matters to our heart, we know what to cherish for ourselves and those around us. Behind this Gateway is a Direction called 'The Rainbow is a Sign That All is Well'. It's about 'The end of a long journey that has taken faith, endurance and great hope in order to see signs that peace and life are about to manifest in a fuller expression of living the dream'. When God sent a rainbow as a sign to Noah, after the storm was over, it meant those lessons of survival, and trusting in God, had been learnt and wouldn't need to be repeated. A renewed life could begin. So we can begin to renew our life path by changing the balance between time apart from others and time together with good people. Which end of the spectrum do you need to head for as we look out at the first signs of Spring?
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For further reading, I recommend ‘Heart Intelligence’ by the HeartMath people. Have a look HERE
