The Most Difficult Times In Your Life Teach You The Most Important Soul Lessons

“When life gets harder, challenge yourself to be stronger.” — Anonymous

Think of a difficult experience you faced this past year. Try to get a sense of the experience without getting consumed by it. Did you resist it at first? If so, why? Was it because of the negative emotions associated with the experience? Or because it was too much to face? Now, come back to the present moment and see if you can recognize the lessons gained from it. After you finish reading this article, I invite you to write the lessons and reflect on how a difficult period can lead to breakthroughs.

Your soul orchestrates your biggest challenges so you can evolve as a spiritual being. I realize it may be hard to believe, but from the soul’s perspective, challenges reveal your authentic power. Your inner power threatens the ego, which opposes change and therefore will convince you an experience shouldn’t be happening. The ego will do everything in its power to resist growth because it represents a threat to its survival. In contrast, the soul perceives growth as expansion and development for the individual. It does not regard problems as a threat to its survival like the ego. Therefore, challenges reveal your dormant powers to overcome your problems.

Soul Lessons Embedded In Your Experiences

“You know you have mastered a soul lesson when the circumstance has not changed but the way you respond has. This is true energy self-mastery.” — Vibrational Medicine

Here’s the thing: The ego dislikes being ruled. It prefers to be in control to satisfy its egoic needs for safety, security, and survival. Therefore, when difficulties arise, the ego resists them because it challenges its power over you. This is why conflicts arise in relationships when people are not aware of their egoic nature. Moreover, the ego will run away from difficulties. It will downplay them just to get its own way. It is a trickster, a fraudster whose power lies in manipulation and control. Although I paint a grim picture of the ego, its function is vested in survival so it doesn’t lose its identity. So, in some respect, it is behaving the way nature intended.

It is important to recognize the influence of the ego during challenging times, but not concede to it. Every time the ego tries to control a situation, it strengthens its power. The key is to be aware of its manipulation, since challenges expose your weaknesses so they can be transformed at the soul level. Can you see why trying to make sense of your difficulties from the ego’s perspective awards it more power? In giving it power, it will manipulate you into believing challenges are not for your highest good. But how can it possibly know whether a difficult situation is not what you need for your personal growth? It can’t and why many people succumb to the ego and miss out on important soul lessons.

To take this idea further: the soul is the quiet voice of spirit and makes no demands, but waits patiently. It serves no leader and commands no attention, other than to be heard and trusted. Therefore, it pays to trust the voice of the soul during difficult times. Even though you cannot make sense of the lessons, you can trust there is a soul lesson embedded in the experience. During your difficult moments lies your greatest expansion as a soul, otherwise the experience wouldn’t be happening.

Grow Into The Person To Overcome Your Problems

“Believe it is possible to solve your problem. Tremendous things happen to the believer. So believe the answer will come. It will.” — Norman Vincent Peale

I understand, when you are going through a difficult period, every part of you wants to run from it. Whether it be an intimate relationship hitting rocky ground, life falling apart, your health suffering or your career taking an unexpected detour. These experiences are soul lessons to awaken you to your greater power. I wrote in an earlier article how I have faced many soul lessons throughout my life. In fact, at the time of writing this, I am experiencing one that has been going on for five years. I live next door to a family who are troublesome people. To say they are regressed would be complimenting them. They have pushed every pain button within me and there were times I wanted to lash out in anger. Yet I recognized earlier on, this was a soul experience because of the wounds they triggered in me. Family members, friends, and colleagues advised me to sue them. Some said I should retaliate, yet I know it would have done no good, only make matters worse. I have spoken to them about their noisy and disruptive ways frequently and they have not changed.

So, when you face difficulties, look for the personal growth contained within the experience. Many people try to find meaning in the situation, but meaning is subjective. Instead, consider the soul lessons contained within the experience. In my case, the lessons I learned through my difficult neighbors included self-compassion, healing my childhood wounds, confronting my anger and, of course, patience. I recognize they have been my teachers and guides to awaken my greater self. Now, to be clear, they do not know they are teachers or guides. They are merely going about their lives based on their level of awareness, which is limited. Let’s not mix our words: You will meet people like this throughout your life and instead of butting heads with them, look for the soul lessons within the experience. I know I’ve repeated this message throughout the article because I believe it to be more important than finding meaning.

To express it differently: Your soul lessons will be tough and push you to your limits. If it involves other people causing you problems, try to recognize the experience as a gateway for inner transformation. Considering this, are you willing to perceive your difficulties with an open mind? Could you look at it from a higher perspective? I invite you to journal your answer and work through it. See whether your difficulties are pointing you towards growth and expansion instead of pain and misery. It will help you learn from the experience instead of spinning your wheels. Difficulties represent conflict for the ego, whereas for the soul, it is a period of breakthroughs and transformation. Whenever you face challenges outside your comfort zone, you are called to grow into the person to overcome them. After all, resisting challenges strengthens the ego but limits the soul lessons you are meant to learn.