I’m going to begin this by admitting openly and honestly that this has been a summer of unending tumultuousness for me.

Fighting my way through that tumult has been an intense test of strength. It’s been isolating, confusing and painful. What I’ve come to realize, though, is that this pain, fear, and general uncertainty I’ve been experiencing - this maelstrom of emotions - is a direct result of change and with it, growth.

As humans, we have a natural (and fierce) inclination to find and quickly fall into into patterns. These patterns lay the foundation from which we approach everything of importance in our lives: love, money, career, health, home, self. We find comfort in the expected. We find comfort in our habits - positive and negative.

The problem with this is that it’s not in our nature to abruptly end a pattern and settle into a new one. The process of change, specifically self-imposed change, is both arduous and excruciating. We all have a desire for personal growth but more often than not we forget about the things we have to walk away from. We forget about how difficult it is to let go of the patterns we’ve grown so accustomed to. And as soon we realize the risk, we quickly return to the comfort of our rut and eventually, we find ourselves in a state of discontent and disappointment in ourselves. Simply put…and surely you’ve heard it all before…our fear of change prevents us from taking necessary leaps of faith to reach our greatest potential.

My personal bedlam has forced me to reflect on these things and in doing so, it’s helped me see what needs to be broken and rebuilt in my life. If you are or have been dealing with similar thoughts and experiences, know you’re not alone. There is light at the end of the tunnel if you clear your eyes enough to see it.

Now, before you go, I just want to end what I can only describe as a doom and gloom blog post (I’m sorry) on an uplifting note:

Earlier this evening, I felt compelled to do a reading for myself on the patio where I could be out among the flowers, breathing in the fresh air. So I set up shop, laying my selenite wand and palo santo sticks beside me. I shuffled the tarot cards, asking for guidance through this period of uncertainty. As I worked through the cards I had placed in front of me, I felt such an overwhelming sense of healing and clarity I nearly wept. They acknowledged the burden of letting go of the past and renewed my hope for the future. With a deep sigh of relief, I set my elbows on the table and brought my hands to my face.

Then, a shatter.

I looked to my feet, saw my selenite wand had fallen and as a result, had broken cleanly into three pieces.

If you’re familiar with selenite, you know that when it catches the light, it reflects brilliantly. Prior to breaking, my wand had dulled; though I hadn’t noticed. It wasn’t until I picked up the pieces that I realized how stunning they were in their new form.

As soon as I held them, I heard the message, “There’s beauty in the broken.”

Take this message with you as you navigate hardships, as you experience pain through growth and change. Yes, the trials may break you, but don’t fear it.

What’s broken can be rebuilt and in the end, you will find radiance you forgot you had.