Tag Archives: joy

The Fertile Void

Posted on by December 12, 2017
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By Lorraine Cohen, www.lorrainecohen.com

“If an egg is broken by outside force, life ends. If broken by inside force, life begins. Great things always begin from inside.” – Jim Kwik

path-light2On a recent call with a good friend, she mentioned being in a “fertile void”. We’ve both been doing deep inner healing and introspection, taking periods to slow down and rest, and letting go of people and things in every area of our lives that no longer serves us.

The “Fertile Void” is a place of preparation for something new to be birthed while living in the abyss.

Here’s an excerpt to a TED talk transcript with Suzanne Braun Levine:

“The term is a Taoist concept that describes a step in the process of change, when everything seems lost and nothing yet found. That is where we find ourselves as we make the transition from adulthood – a well-documented and well-scripted stage of life – to Second Adulthood – a totally new life experience being defined by living longer and healthier lives and by arriving there as more confident and experienced women (men get there too, but not along quite the same route).

Like adolescence, that other very tumultuous transition that it resembles, Second Adulthood is about reinvention. Margaret Mead once said that adolescence is no less than “the birth of the soul.” The Fertile Void is, I believe, where the soul is reborn.

You enter feeling broken, and you emerge feeling broken open. The process is a mission without a goal. We get impatient. We feel frantic and stuck. The unremitting unknowingness is maddening. But desperate as we are, we have to give ourselves some slack. We have to go with the flow. The solution to being stuck is being still.”

I resonate with so much of what Suzanne say about my own spiritual journey of feeling broken open to be revealed to my Truest Self. This is the journey of enlightenment and living from Higher Guidance.

After big growth spurts and extensive creative periods I often found my life slowed down and I felt disconnected from my guidance, like being “out in the desert.” I realized those were gifts of time for deep rest, contemplation, and play; to come back into harmony with myself and what’s next.

The Fertile Void has some similarities to my desert experiences and what is different is that I feel very connected to my spirit. I sense I am in an incubation period for something big to break out, which might be ME. Each time I ask for a glimpse, my guidance seems to say with a wink and a twinkle, “You’ll see!”

This is a time of letting go of everything and everyone that is no longer serving you to allow your spirit to light the way. It is also a time to stand in courage, faith, and trust in a higher plan for your life unfolding.

Imagine cleaning all the furniture out of your house to create a fresh, new space. In this period of preparation, you must let go of the need to be busy doing something and you must let go of the need to know how, what, when and why.

Do you feel like you are living in the Fertile Void?

Breathe..

The answers come when they are meant to.

You may find that whatever you are trying to do is not working despite your efforts and intentions.

Sometimes you must have a break down before you have a break through…..

The Fertile Void is a space of emergence and a rite of passage to live from a higher expression of your truest self and destiny. When you stop pushing and slow down you can ask those deeper questions like, “what do I really, really want?” and connect with the core of your heart.

Each period of expansion brings deeper answers.

I think of a Sherlock Homes line, “The game is afoot,” in anticipation of an adventure to unravel a mystery.

The Fertile Void is not static. It is a place of transformation and creation; a blessing and a pathway to live from POWER, passion, and purpose. Make the whispers of your soul the guiding force in your life and use your mind for the practical functions of your life.

Allow your spirit to carry you and you will feel the hand of Grace no matter what is happening in your life.

You are being taught to live in new ways; for your life to become fun, easy, joyful, abundant….

Embrace the mystery. The best is yet to come!

Blessings,

Lorraine

Founder of Powerfull Living, Rev. Lorraine Cohen (United States) is an internationally recognized life architect, spiritual guide, inspirational speaker, and heart healer. For more than 25 years, Lorraine has assisted thousands of women who value the inner journey, have the courage and passion to go deeper and create massive changes in themselves to reach higher states of consciousness and be of the greatest service to the world; to live a life that is awake and authentic and to create a reality that is conscious, deliberate and meaningful. www.lorrainecohen.com

Are You Willing?

Posted on by December 12, 2017
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By Lorraine Cohen, www.lorrainecohen.com

soul-adorationAre you willing?

I was asked the question on a coaching call many years ago. I was struggling with stepping up and out in a bigger way.

My fears and “not good enough” messages were swirling in my head. I knew I was sharing my gifts and talents in comfortable ways and the idea of being more visible felt daunting.

We were speaking about my doing interviews, leading online teleseminars and in –person workshops, creating products and programs….yikes.

What did I have to offer that anyone really wanted and would pay for?

And what if I failed?

I came up with excuses and reasons to resist expanding my work into new areas and yet, there was a part of me that felt excited at the opportunities.

So when she asked, “Lorraine, are you willing?” I knew she was also asking if I was open to new possibilities and opportunities to fulfill my deepest desires and dreams. The first step in saying YES to something new is to be willing AND open to experience life in a bigger way.

I explored:

Am I willing to fail?

Am I willing to succeed?

Am I willing to learn something new that might become something fabulous?

Am I willing to be uncomfortable in uncertainty?

Am I willing to let go of the need to know and take a leap of faith?

Am I willing to let my heart and soul guide me for the pure joy of the experience?

Am I willing to let go of what I think I have to do to allow what is ready to unfold?

Am I willing to have fun with creating what I want?

Am I willing to be open to possibilities?

So I said Yes!

I was willing then and still ask myself that question whenever I am stretching out of my comfort zone.

When I began working on surrender I realized that I didn’t know how to really let go without feeling resistance or trying to control, manage, or direct what I was feeling, thinking, and experiencing. I could talk about surrender conceptually but embodying the essence of letting go completely and embracing life in each moment felt elusive.

So, I started with a willingness to learn how and put out my prayer request to be shown how to let go with as much Grace and ease that I would allow. I am still learning how to let God and let go every day!

You don’t have to have everything figured out!

Just start with a willingness!

Is there something you have been struggling with? Perhaps it is something you have been resisting? Perhaps there is something you have been TRYING to change or create without a lot of success? Maybe you have convinced yourself that something you deeply want is out of your reach because you feel inadequate or not enough?

Asking yourself the question, “Am I willing?” is an invitation to freely play and explore the field of possibilities without the burden of shoulds and have tos or feeling pressured to make something happen by your own efforts.

Being willing and open, like you were as a child, invites magic and miracles; to flow with life and see each day as a grand adventure.

Here are five ways to deliberately play in the field of willingness:

1. Experiment. Be curious to play with and take some actions with an idea for the fun of it. Make “what if” a game that allows you stand in wonder and possibility! Meander with a sense of purpose by letting go of the need to see and understand where the path will lead. It begins with just one step that always leads to the next. You can use experiences to find out so much about yourself including what you really, really want.

2. Redirect your energy and imagination. Turn anger, fear, anxiety, and feelings of unworthiness into your passion for what you want to be, have or do. Becoming aware in the midst of an emotional and physical reaction can empower you to embrace the charge and then shift the energy towards what you most want to create. Flip the switch!

3. Question the messages you are telling yourself. You might be using past experiences as an excuse and reason to hold yourself back. What if what you are thinking, believing and telling yourself is a big fat lie? “What happened then is sure to repeat”. Take the gifts and learning from prior experiences to plant seeds for a blessed present and limitless tomorrow. Remember that when you align with the Divine, anything is possible!”

4. Stay consistent with your spiritual and self-care practices. These are critical pieces to staying centered and connected to the wellspring of wisdom within you. Your Higher Nature knows the quickest route to live your greatest life and guide you “home.” Take time to pause, integrate, and rest when you need to just BE!

5. Surround yourself with a strong, healthy, and like-hearted community of support including trusted friends, colleagues, and professionals. We all need help sometimes for accountability, an emotional boost, a kick in the pants, a mirror reflection, and for deeper healing processes we cannot do ourselves without getting in the way!

The next time you find yourself using excuses, struggling, empowering your fears, questioning your brilliance and competence, giving up, feeling frustrated, overwhelmed or stuck… Stop and breathe.

Think and feel into something you really, really want.

Take another breath.

Rest into the body and notice the sensations you are feeling.

Take another breath.

Ask yourself, “Am I willing for this (whatever you want) to manifest in my life?

Breathe deeply and stand in your willingness and openness to be taught, shown and guided to have what you really, really want. Make that verbal declaration to yourself and to the Universe. “Yes, I am willing and open to….” Be specific in what you are inviting into your life as a prayer.

Let go of the need to know how, what, or when your prayer will be answered. What you don’t know how to do, the Divine does and relishes the opportunity to teach you. Trust that you will be shown and intuitively guided through experiences that will serve you in the highest way.

And be open to the magic of possibilities!!

Namaste’

Lorraine

Rev. Lorraine Cohen (United States) is an internationally recognized life architect, spiritual guide, inspirational speaker, and heart healer. For more than 25 years, Lorraine has assisted thousands of women who value the inner journey, have the courage and passion to go deeper and create massive changes in themselves to reach higher states of consciousness and be of the greatest service to the world; to live a life that is awake and authentic and to create a reality that is conscious, deliberate and meaningful. www.lorrainecohen.com