Soul Purpose Journey: Un-Kink Your Spiritual Path

What Spirit Explained About Getting Started on Your Spiritual Journey

The "start" - as I talked about in STARTING YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY- can be anything or nothing. But once you do notice the shift in you, once you're on the other side of whatever cracked you open, Spirit had something to say about what comes next.

Let me paint you a picture.

Let's say your soul's purpose is Adventure. (I'm using this one because the contrast is so easy to see.) You've been living your very human life - going to work, raising a family, paying bills. You know, life. And meanwhile, somewhere underneath all of that, Adventure is quietly banging on the door.

Spirit showed me something: an old-school metal playground swing. Long chains, rubber seat. You know the one.

Here's what they explained.

You Were Born Un-kinked

When you came into this world, that swing chain was perfectly straight - no kinks, all the way down, seat hanging right where it belongs. And if Adventure is your purpose, you probably showed up as a precocious kid. Always looking for the next thing, the next thrill, the next "what's over there?"

Maybe your parents loved it. Maybe they didn't. Maybe they said sit still or behave or stop being so dramatic. Maybe your teachers were the ones who couldn't handle you. One of the things I've learned doing this work is that we are often

- often, not always - born into contrast. Meaning, the people and circumstances around you are frequently the exact opposite of what your soul came here to experience.

And every single time you stopped doing your Adventure thing to make someone else comfortable? You kinked your chain.

Little by little, kink by kink, that rubber seat starts creeping up toward the top of the swing set. Life piles on. Work. Obligations. Other people's opinions of how you should be spending your time. And one day you're just... stuck. Chain all kinked up, seat jammed at the top, not really swinging at all.

Maybe you sneak in an adventure here and there. But mostly? You just feel this low hum of God, there has got to be more than this. This cannot be my life.

That's not a midlife crisis. That's not ingratitude. That's your soul calling.

So What Do You Do With a Kinked-Up Chain?

Spirit's answer: See each opportunity.

Here's what that looks like in real life. Say your purpose is Adventure, and you've got something planned that puts a little thrill in your belly. Maybe it's small - a day trip, a spontaneous yes, something that makes you feel alive. And then work calls. They need you to come in early. Stay late. Cover a shift.

That moment right there? That's not an inconvenience. That's an opportunity.

As my friend Sara says: Choice and Action. You decide. You say no to work. You do the thing.

After living a bit doing what others want you to do instead of what feels right to you, your chain gets all kinked up.

Now the Real Trouble Begins

That one decision - that one "no" - un-kinks one side of the chain.

And suddenly you feel off balance. Because you are. One side is looser, the other's still all jammed up. So your brain kicks in: What if they fire me? What if this was a mistake? I've got bills. I've got responsibilities. Maybe I should just go in.

Maybe your partner gives you a look. Maybe the guilt shows up right on schedule. Maybe you spend the whole day you were supposed to be adventuring second-guessing yourself instead.

Here's what Spirit wants you to know about that: that's also your soul calling. It's asking - are you going to do what you want, or what you think you should?

And from where Spirit stands, "should" is a dirty word.

The Un-kinking Takes Time

This is my long-winded way of saying: once you feel that pull - that desire, that calling, that thing that makes you feel free or inspired or finally yourself - that's real. That's your soul.

But when you answer the call, Spirit -

those little stinkers - they're going to make sure you actually want it. They'll put up yield signs. Stop signs. A little interference from the people around you. A little noise from inside your own head.

This will happen over and over while you're un-kinking both sides of that swing.

It doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. It means you're doing it for real.

Mel.