When Life Appears to Be Against You (Blog)

[Erin Pavlina]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Erin Pavlina's blog:

When Life Appears to Be Against You

[joylangtry]

Timing is wonderful. Your timing of this particular blog entry was perfect for me, so no doubt I'm one of the many for whom your message was specifically intended.

Your entry was one of those synchronicities... following a few recent other synchronicities, of the book-falling-of-the-shelf-and-landing-on-my-foot variety.

Happily, I have embraced the idea that my past traumas and failures are learning opportunities, part of an educational process that can only be understood in retrospect, if at all. But here I sit, on the fence, wondering if I should make yet another leap of faith.

Hell, yes! Time to jump!

Thank you, Erin, for all you do, and for yet another perfect message.

[Mew3692002]

I know I'm going my true north since so many things are very simple for me and I'm loving life! I even found the solution that was causing me frustration (and why it was causing me frustration) on metaphysical forums through a book I just bought by chance. One question though, if you are thinking this way and have an intense joy radiating from yourself, does that mean you are living your purpose?

[Erin Pavlina]

Being in a state of intense joy is definitely a sign that you are on the right track. Sometimes, however, it's just a first step. A necessary one to be sure, but look for the next step too. Sometimes when you think you've reached the pinnacle you'll find yet another mountain to climb that you couldn't see until you reached the point you're at now.

Now also sometimes people know their purpose and are in alignment with their purpose but aren't acting on it. So make sure you're actually acting on it (whatever that may be in your case).

[Lola]

I've noticed a couple of things recently about being on the right path - one is not second-guessing myself. The certainty that this absolutely is the best way to be acting out my purpose is so strong that I don't question it. Secondly, when those aggravations/annoyances/obstructions show up that in the past would have had me throwing up my hands in despair and quitting, or at least would have sucked up all my energy in raging against them, I just shrug them off. This is major for me! The certainty wins out and I know, I know, I know I can get over this minor setback.

[KeithHandy]

I'm reminded of an episode of WKRP in Cincinnati, in which Johnny Fever is freaking out because he heard God's voice telling him "I want you to be a golf pro".

I'm still having some difficulty distinguishing the medium from the message. I have periods where I'm very clearly inspired and in the flow, but these seem to get me 80% of the way through something (I write and record music, and get very excited about my work), and then I reach these points where I'm kind of confused, particularly about who I'm doing it for. So the message I seem to be getting is that, yes, I am supposed to be doing this, except I'm leaving something out.

I would be happy to discover that there's a "30 degree turn" I can take that will make me more aligned, but I would be freaked out like our friend Dr. Fever if a much larger turn than that was necessary.

[Angela]

In your article you write "Roadblocks..... Sometimes they involve synchronicities like when a book at a bookstore just drops off the shelf as you walk past and it’s titled, “Empowering Yourself and Others.” "

Sometimes, I guess, they involve stumbling across an article I was going to skip because "When Life Appears to be Against You" didn't resonate for me, but I read it anyway for some reason.......

.....and it just happens to be the perfect, affirming, encouraging message that you would probably have written to me if I had sent you the email I was going to send you this morning, but now I don't have to since you've anticipated me.

whu? wh.... the -- how do you do that??

[Erin Pavlina]

Originally Posted by Angela

.....and it just happens to be the perfect, affirming, encouraging message that you would probably have written to me if I had sent you the email I was going to send you this morning, but now I don't have to since you've anticipated me.

whu? wh.... the -- how do you do that??

I don't. (pointing to the ceiling) They do.

[cdn2wheeler]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

I don't. (pointing to the ceiling) They do.

My upstairs neighbours?? The ones with the clunky shoes that thunk their way across the hardwood floor at 4 in the morning??

[shant121]

perfect timing and a great message

[Mew3692002]

Got it Erin, thanks for the great message!

[River of Karma]

Erin,
Good post. It was.

But I have a question - Realizing you're going down the wrong path is one thing, finding out which is your right path is another.

How does one determine which is their north aka right path.

(If you can answer me this, then I'll admit it hands up this post came at the absolute right time)

Cheers,
River of Karma

[Erin Pavlina]

Do the exercise in my blog entry, The Path to Purpose to determine your true north.

[Nani]

Erin, I have a few questions. How do you know if these roadblocks are really a sign that you are going the wrong way? Can't they also be necessary challenges that you must overcome? How can you tell which of the two they are?

Also, let's say someone becomes a dentist even though that's not what was intended for them. They are extremely happy and enjoy their job. Have they still gone down the wrong path? Or is this scenario just impossible because if a person doesn't go down the road intended for them, they can't be truly happy?

I always enjoy reading your blog, Erin. Please keep it up.

[wolverine]

I've found that in the last year or so, the big things have fallen into place when I let them. I got into the uni course I wanted, I got accomodation even when I applied far far FAR too late, and little things all year have just fit.

Of course, this doesn't mean that they're easy when they're actually happening: because I applied so late, I got a terrible room on ground floor near the door and the walkway. However, it's made me realise what I do want, so I've clearly defined what it is that I want for next years accomodation. And I've tried things in my course and I've decided to give myself a challenge next year subject-wise, and I've learnt what I don't want also.

I've found that if things seem to click into place, don't give up when following through seems difficult. Especially for me, when I've got a heap of growing and learning to do, sometimes even a life purpose won't make things easy! But it might steer me onto the path where I can discover myself more and make myself a better life. And I'm in no rush. Figuring it all out is half the fun!

EDIT TO ADD: Although, a question I do want to ask: that exercise both you and Steve recommend with the four areas... how do you approach it when you don't have much in the 'ability' area? I'm only just legally an adult, I'm still learning basic business skills, I don't have any clue of what I could do professionally... any advice? The other areas aren't easy either, but they're much more personal of course, and not as easy to get help with.


Wolverine

[Erin Pavlina]

Wolverine, your talents in the "What can I do" area don't have to be business related. They could be things like, "Empathize with others. Understand complex issues easily. Great logic skills. Great listener. Very organized. Able to explain difficult concepts to others, etc."

Nani, that's a good question. How do you know when you just need to persevere vs that you may need to go in another direction. Steve and I certainly have faced that issue. I think I may have briefly mentioned that when Steve was running his games business, man no one worked harder. He was doing the work of 4 people and he was literally working all day long and sometimes all night long to finish tasks. He thought if he just kept at it that eventually it would all come together, it just HAD to. But it didn't. Not until he turned to shareware games did things get better. That's when he learned the lesson of relying on himself not an outside publisher. But even then as his income grew, so did his expenses until he was at a point where he was making a lot of money but spending most of it on employees and rent and royalties, etc. We still weren't getting ahead, still had no money saved, and he was still working his butt off. He was not a vibrational match for the games business. It was close! But still, he was not a complete vibrational match for it. He had some success but only because he pushed so incredibly hard.

It wasn't until he switched into personal development, which I could see all along was his real and true north, that he found himself in the flow, paddling with the current of the river instead of against it. And then success came relatively quickly and easily (1 year or so). Sure, he was still working, but it no longer felt like work to him. It was just part of him and he was expressing through a natural outflow the best parts of himself.

so how to tell if a road block is a road block that means you have to go another way... that's why it's important to be in touch with who you really are. Challenges and road blocks are two different things. You've got to feel your way through it. See if what you're doing resonates with yoru soul or only with your logic and mind.

[ticktockclok]

I can relate to this. I desperately wanted out of high school; I worked to convince my parents to let me out for months to no avail. I've realized the need to give up, but I think I know what "they" want me to learn. Wasting my time doing schoolwork/homework has made me value my time much more and improve my time management skills. I'll need them to work towards my purpose.

[-YK-]

How does one resolve sufferings or road blocks related to conflict in past lives? I had an email reading done by Erin and was told that was the reason of my problems. Challenges, road blocks or past lives problems,...I wish one day I have the answers to this....

[Red Willow]

So...how does this all work with the LOA? It seems like, according to this post, what we want chooses us, we don't choose what we want.

During college, I felt like I had to choose some type of career path and I decided that because I was interested in politics and researching and I could write reasonably well, I should become a journalist. Added to that, I have a nice voice, so I thought I might be well-suited for radio. Well, I got some bones, but it seemed like everything was against me to succeed. I'd see others cruise into the field with no problems. I worked as a journalist, hated it, but still pushed on. I had so many obstacles...jobs would fold around me, shows would get cancelled, etc...

I tried to use the LOA to get ahead. I visualized the perfect job, I dream-boarded it, I journaled. But nothing. Finally, I had to realize that I never wanted this path for myself, I only thought I wanted it.

Through soul-searching, I realized my true passion is with plants and the ecology, although I have very little knowledge or talent in this area. Without doing anything, I managed to manifest property in the country for a sustainable farm. I've manifested a whole community of like-minded people. I feel very keenly that this milieu is somehow aligned with my purpose. But I didn't choose it at all. It chose me.

So, do we choose what we want or not?