“Follow your soul. It knows the way.”
~~Anonymous
Many people are afraid of bridges. They don’t know what’s on the other side. The same is true for the soul.
Few really know what it is or how to make use of its primary function—to carry us from place to place (between the many junctures in our life) and help us rise above danger or obstruction (navigate the many challenges of the human condition). Whether we know it or not, our soul is always with us. It runs the show even when we are least aware.
The primary function of our soul is to keep us alive, while its primary purpose is to help us evolve. What do you think makes us jump out of the way when danger is approaching? What makes us push on, even when we don’t think we have anything left? On the other hand, what makes us seek out joy, fun and love? What creates our curiosity to know what may be on the other side of the current moment?
There is something deep within us that acts at our core. This central processing system is always fast at work, spurring us on to become the best we can be. But like actual bridges, sometimes they need repair. At times, we must assess what needs to be done to bolster our bridge so we can more easily move beyond whatever is causing inconvenience or distress.
Around age eight, my father took me and my siblings to a movie called “A Bridge Too Far”, the only one I remember him taking us to.
The movie was about troops from America, Britain and Poland who were trying to reclaim land during World War II. The mission was intended to end the battle altogether—a final attempt to put the unrest to rest. As you can imagine, it wasn’t the kind of movie you should bring young children to see. The name of the movie and several of the not-so-pleasant scenes still stick in my brain, despite the fact that I’d rather focus on the nostalgia of the chocolate “Flicks” candy and buttered popcorn he bought for snacks.
I don’t want to remember the horrific scenes from that movie, but I do recall “getting to the other side” of them a different person. That movie changed me, even at a very young age. The stark truth of what we, as humans, go through is not always a pleasant reality. But the resilience of the soul sees us through. The “repair” often comes in extracting the meaning that is laced in the experiences of the human condition and healing or assimilating them to bolster who we are. Each time we traverse a challenge, it seasons our soul.
Over the last several weeks, I’ve heard myself say to clients, friends and colleagues that the human condition is relentless. Just as we resolve or overcome a hurdle or lesson, one or more arrives. In some ways, it feels like this process is speeding up—that we are experiencing a rapid fire ambush of daily life challenges, especially with the current state of the country and world.
I’d like to think that we are getting better at managing these challenges, instead of just ducking and weaving to avoid the impact. Either way, the unseen bridge can come in handy if we decide to allow it to do its job.
Earlier this week, I had a session with a client who is a retired college professor. She mentioned that much of her turmoil comes from fears stirred from the current political battles in our country. The fact that many long-standing rights are in danger of being stripped is terrifying to many. While I’m not thrilled with what is happening in our country, I’m aware of two things: 1) that what is happening in the world must be part of what humans are supposed to experience as part of our evolution in human consciousness and 2) that if we allow ourselves to be overcome or immobilized by what is happening outside of us, we’ll fail to honor what is happening from within.
The “bridge”, in this case, is how we go about life in the next several months—or even in the immediate moment. If we allow our enemies—anything that attempts to harm or obstruct our path—to derail our soul’s path, we lose. We give in to enemy lines and become prisoners of the external war—the ongoing ambush of the human condition. Instead, if we stay grounded in and connected with our innermost ally, there is absolutely no way to lose.
Even if we can’t see or locate our unseen bridge within, we can honor what it is telling us to do to get to the other side. We can make it more known and find the path it will lead us down as we find our way to internal safety.
The real truth is that the wisdom of our soul is our most powerful sergeant, leader or navigator. We just need to make the unseen more present, despite the fact that we never really know what is just beyond our view.
An encounter with a Canadian stranger several years ago served as an unexpected, but welcomed bridge through the politically charged presidential race happening at the time. I was traveling back from Banff National Park, leaving from Calgary airport. As I stood in the line to board the plane, the televisions all around reported that Donald Trump was gaining momentum in securing the presidential candidate nomination. I took a deep breath with disbelief. An older man standing next to me noticed my reaction and leaned over to say, “Whatever happens, just know it will be okay. We’ve had our share of challenging leaders, too.” I don’t recall how I responded, but I clearly remember the wisdom of his words—a stranger’s attempt to provide a bridge to comfort my soul for the unseen waters ahead.
We are once again in a place of uncertainty in our country—and in the world at large as well. However, as I said to the client just last week, our inner ally will see us through. It will motivate us to keep going regardless of whatever comes our way.
We always win when we put our soul in charge. The unseen bridge is our eternal ally. Are you ready to let it lead?
Katherine T. Kelly Ph.D., M.S.P.H.
With 35+ years of direct clinical experience, Dr. Kelly doesn’t just believe in helping others to heal; instead, her mission is to help them to evolve. Using her own integrative and trademarked framework—the Soul Health Model—Dr. Kelly approaches her work with clients from a “whole person” or “whole organization” perspective. She provides a uniquely progressive, yet down-to-earth approach and is well-known in therapeutic, medical and corporate communities. She thrives as she helps clients and organizations to reach what she calls “conscious evolution” through a variety of self-designed strategies. Her dedication to healing has been widely recognized as she was the recipient of the Provider of the Year Award by the regional Mental Health Association and was nominated as an Incredible Woman for a local community television network, which spotlights role models to inspire young women to pursue their own passions.