More often than not, people believe their purpose needs to be some singular grandiose thing with worldwide epic impact. Like soul mates, people believe you should only have one purpose. There is one soul mate and one purpose in the entire universe just for you, and that’s it, and it never changes. That’s a limiting and disempowering story. Everyone has unique, magical gifts. Once a purpose is found, it naturally leads to the desire to know the how - the tools. You can have gifts that don’t directly correlate with what you feel is your purpose.
There is so much angst around purpose - not knowing what it is, not doing it “right”(whatever that means), and judgments upon judgments heaped onto one’s life’s purpose. This question is central in spiritual communities, social media, and the self-help universe. It shows up in different forms and flavours, but all roads feel like they lead to the question - “What’s my life purpose?” Compulsively seeking out and working with people who can help you find your purpose is a surefire way to feel demoralised, impotent, confused, and at the end of the day, not find your purpose. We discuss things you may want to look for in your quest for purpose and some things you can do to help you on your personal journey of purpose.
Comparison is not only the thief of joy but will also effectively will stall any progress you are making. Comparison is toxic and our culture sells it to us with social media and celebrities. On this one, we urge you to get out of the comparison trap. The time you spend trying this is well-spent because you can learn valuable lessons. You may think you have reached a dead end, which may be true for you within the arc of that particular part of your journey. It does not mean your time was wasted. Now you know what does not work for you. It’s all valuable information. Everything has a purpose.
This isn’t a race. As a modern person, the day will not come when you wake up and say, “I am healed from everything I have ever gone through in this life.” Perhaps some monastics who live in caves can say this, but they are the exception. You can certainly get to a place where the emotional or psychological charge you feel from a trigger is decreased significantly or no longer there entirely. The pain can be so distant that you may even forget it exists. It’s a magical place to be, but that takes work and time. But you’ll never come to a place where you are all completely healed - 100% from everything.
True healing is not linear. Just like grief, there is not a natural progression when it comes to healing. You may return to old patterns and ways of thinking from time to time. There will be times when you aren’t making any progress, and then something shifts very quickly. It will look like you’ve ruined your healing journey or are not doing anything. You have not “ruined” your healing because you weren’t perfect at it. You are a multidimensional being with many facets, and so is your healing. At times, things that seem unrelated are completely intertwined. Looking at what activates your emotions can be a clue. Because healing is layered, moving through those layers takes time.
Are you completely overwhelmed by the noise of the people around you trying to “sell” you healing? Have you been disappointed by false promises made by healers who said they could cure you of this ailment or that karmic pattern? Hopefully, you will find solace and peace in these truths, and they may get you out of the latest rabbit hole you find yourself in.
Many healers will create dual relationships with their clients, a slippery slope where many boundaries tend to get crossed.If your emotional or physical boundaries are crossed, you must be clear and let the healer know as quickly as possible.In most cases, these boundary crossings are more aligned with co-dependent healers, where the healer makes you feel special and that you need to take care of them. Like in psychotherapy and regaining physical fitness, you feel worse before you feel better. Detoxing is real, and a die-off of old patterning is not comfortable.If your inexperienced healer is not helping you, please look for someone with more experience who can help you. If you feel consistently drained or odd after sessions with a particular healer, it may be time to step away from them.
Healing is a process, and though shifts can be very fast, issues that you’ve had for forty years will likely not be healed within the span of a single sixty-minute session. Authentic healers understand that healing is gradual and cannot always promise instantaneous miraculous outcomes. There are many healers out there who are working with some narcissistic personality dynamics. Many of these healers overshare how amazing they are and great their lives are. And after the oversharing comes the overexposing.
The spiritual realm demands our utmost respect and caution. It's a domain where light and dark forces intermingle, requiring discernment and integrity from those who navigate its depths. Unfortunately, the healing community is not immune to deception. There are individuals who, fully aware of their alignment with darker forces, masquerade as beings of light. Conversely, some believe they serve the light but unwittingly channel darker energies due to inadequate knowledge or experience.
Intuition is a deeper, more intrinsic form of knowledge that often comes without the backing of logical proof. It’s that sudden insight or understanding that arrives without a clear explanation of how or why. Intuition happens swiftly, bypassing the slower, more deliberate process of logical deduction. Intuition is regularly discounted because it is viewed as illogical, primarily because it lacks tangible evidence. Its presence and how it manifests can vary wildly from person to person and situation to situation. What can happen if you ignore it?
Intuition is a powerful and profound ability that goes much deeper than the stereotypical images of psychics with crystal balls and neon signs advertising palm readings. You possess intuition and have an innate capacity for intuitive insight that's just waiting to be awakened and nurtured. Forget what you've been told about intuition—or the lack thereof—by parents, teachers or colleagues. Intuition is a gift that belongs to everyone. It can be developed through dedication and practice. The key is not to look at others and measure ourselves against them but to recognize our own unique potential and embark on a personal journey of discovery and growth. At its core, intuition is a form of understanding, knowledge, or judgment that arrives not through the conscious mind's analytical processes but through an inner sense of knowing. It’s that sudden insight or understanding that arrives without a clear explanation of how or why. Intuition happens swiftly.
Sometimes, being an empath can feel like it's draining the life out of you. But guess what? It doesn't have to be that way.Too often, empaths use their empathic nature as an excuse for their lack of boundaries and co-dependence in personal and professional spheres. If you find yourself using being an empath as a crutch to avoid establishing boundaries, it's time for brutal honesty. The inability to establish boundaries often stems from childhood experiences and, in many cases, past trauma. Repeating the mantra "But I can't help it, I just feel everything!" won't serve you, and it's not truthful.
Spiritual Bypassing The “Good Vibes Only” road will likely get you to “Despair Ahead Inevitable.” Toxic positivity is chaotic and appeals to many. Love and light all-day-every-day is not a thing. Yet, many spiritual influencers and healers have amassed a rabid following around this axiom. Aspirational Spirituality Despite proclamations of unity and equality in the spiritual community, a hierarchy of holiness exists. This spiritual elitism, whether through self-proclaimed shamans or those claiming exclusive divine lineages, undermines the collective journey toward enlightenment. It is more of the same old paradigm wrapped in prettier marketing paper.
Two thousand-plus years ago, we had Oracles, Seers, and Temple Priestesses. You’d be hard-pressed to find any Oracles wondering how they would make rent this month. Nor did your friendly local Temple Priestess of Athena have to wonder where her next meal would come from. These skilled healers and teachers would be financially taken care of by their community, just like the butcher and baker of the town. If you believe that those working in the spiritual realm should not be financially compensated for their services, think about this. Doctors are healers, too. Would you expect them to give you their care for free?
In the swirling vortex (or cesspool, depending on who you speak to) of spirituality and self-improvement, a new trend has emerged, one that mixes dubious ancient wisdom with modern marketing plus the lure of an unrealistic, aspirational lifestyle to create something that feels egregious to those who quietly do spiritual work to better themselves and the human collective.
Maria and Sean speak about how the world of healing can be treacherous and how Suddenly Spiritual aims to provide real, honest, practical spiritual knowledge and wisdom for the true seekers among us. The goal is to ignite the Divine human within each listener, raising the collective consciousness of our planet. We will challenge your preconceptions, push your buttons, and encourage deep reflection. We are not here to adhere to the status quo of what the new age spiritual market wants you to buy into and believe. Consider this your antidote to "woo-woo" – and a place of woo-you.