Emotional & Spiritual Growth: Here's Why the Entire Universe Is Inside of You by Stephanie Cannoe

Every great teaching is a guide, pointing you toward something inside of yourself that is here to teach you who you really are. How brave, resilient and courageous you can be. And in turn, you are in this world teaching others how to be brave, resilient and courageous.

But, to get to this place of mastery seems like quite the task spiritually, especially since emotional and spiritual growth are optional, and require a solid sense of self and faith to keep an open heart amidst the unknown lessons yet to come. We all know how hard it is to surrender to pain; it may feel as though we will die if we open up to it. What I’ve learned is that when I disconnect from my pain, it’s a very lonely place. And until you reach the heart of the matter, the unresolved situation will continue to recreate itself, seeking resolution.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that mastery is defined as either comprehensive knowledge of a subject or control and superiority over another. Duality is a part of life. The way I see it, surrender is one aspect, and to know we must align with the flow of the universe and accept our fate and feelings with courage. The idea that we create our own destiny is on the other end – we are making the wheel turn by our free will and choices. Two opposite ends of the pendulum, which will continue to swing, reflecting back to us the ever-changing movement of our creation.

Where we go wrong is just the universe's way of guiding us back to the heart of our purest intentions. I’ve noticed that my viewpoint will either narrow or widen the lens. Recently, my son has been echoing the phrase that the words we speak are like a poem. Many great mystics believed this was true. When seen in this light, everything has a spiritual dimension and is a gateway to the sacred. While standing at the summit of a mountain in awe of the view, what I know is that the sacred and mystical cannot always be explained by the known. Instead, it is only within the embodiment of the mystery that we truly begin to understand.

“For some people, the day comes when they have to declare the great Yes or the great No. It’s clear at once who has the Yes ready within him; and saying it, he goes from honor to honor, strong in his conviction. He who refuses does not repent. Asked again, he’d still say no. Yet that no – the right no – drags him down all his life.” – C.P. Cavafy

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