Why Does It need To be This Hard?

When I’m down, I often ask the Universe,

"Why does it need to be this hard?"

For those who know my journey, they know the challenges I've faced:

• Long periods of crushing isolation
• Financial instability shifting careers
• Struggle for social connection and understanding

Sometimes, the world feels terribly unfair.

I don't know why “bad things happen to good people”, but I've realized difficult moments can provide valuable opportunities for growth and transformation. These experiences have helped me:

• Shed patterns that no longer serve
• Develop capacity for who I am becoming
• Build intimacy to experience Spirit in deeper ways

Let’s break this down:

1/ Shed old patterns that no longer serve

A friend was struggling to leave his stable government job. He knew he had to leave but was fearful of what was next. One day, he dad unexpectedly passed. Within weeks, he quit his job and moved abroad. He realized life was too short to delay his dreams.

Too often, we get cozy in familiar patterns, even when we've outgrown them. Painful moments bring stunning clarity to what’s truly important. They catapult us out of stuckness, so we can move into the next stage of our lives.

2/ Develop capacity for who we are becoming

Through my work, I help leaders navigate the dark unknown with courage and compassion.

I didn’t go to school to learn how to do this. I learned these skills through direct experience - overcoming my own struggles, being with pain, spending long periods in the deserts of the unknown.

I don’t want to live these experiences again, but I am grateful for them. They’ve helped me develop unwavering courage. Because of my life experience I know longer fear, fear.

From this place of healed courage, I guide others and live into my purpose.

3/ Deepened intimacy with Divine

I once went on a three-week road trip across South Africa.

During our trip, our car overheated, got a flat, and landed in a crash. Needless to say, it was intense. The experience revealed a lot about my travel mates and their character - who could handle stress, who was comfortable with uncertainty, who was fun to be around, even when the sh*t hit the fan.

Similarly, difficult moments have deepened my relationship with Spirit and revealed the character of the Universe. Because of my challenges, my experience of Spirit is richer and more nuanced.

I speak confidently about spirituality because I know Spirit.

***

It’s no secret, the world is in a lot of pain.

If you're struggling through tough times, my heart goes out to you. You don't need to hide your pain, feel everything that's coming up for you.

I won't pretend to have easy answers. Finding meaning in the midst of suffering is never easy. But I do believe that, with time and patience, it's possible to emerge from difficult circumstances with greater clarity, purpose, and strength.

Hold on, keep trusting, you will find your way forward.