If we imagine our life as a book, then it is undeniably a page-turner: not merely because it comes with its twists and shockers and thrills and poetic moments; but also because it forces us to pick the corner up, fold the page over and move on to the next page. We cannot get stuck unless we sacrifice what we are, ceasing to be living entities engaged in a quest for a meaningful unfolding. And even if we were to decide to remain right here, to glue our feet to the floor right where we stand and to firmly hold the book open at that very page we want to stay on – that sense that we can stop time and control the pace of the story is an illusion. The story goes on, the story flows, the music plays, our ears know it, our skin perceives it…and sooner or later all the elements combine to help us to let go and move on, to turn the page.
If we hold on too tightly, because we enjoy the moment so much and wish that could just be ‘it’ and would do anything to preserve it forever; or because we are content with life as is and would rather avoid any upheavals that may occur if or when we simply move a finger to lift the page – then the elements will unleash all their power and wits to make us yield, and they will of course win. Battered, bruised and ashamed, we raise our gaze and see the page has turned, and our clinging merely delayed the inevitable.
If we are wise enough – perhaps because we have been battered and bruised before, and know better this time around; or perhaps because we have learned to trust the magic of the book of life – then the transition from one page to the next may not break us so intensely. We may still pay a price, shedding parts of ourselves in the process; but there will be rewarding experiences of light, lightness and warmth. We will experience this page-turning as a death full of life; as a meaningful plot there to gift us with the strength to embrace the story of the soul as it is, in contrast with the story that our conscious ego wants to write. We do not get everything we want out of that book; but we are granted consistent opportunities to relate to the story more deeply, more meaningfully, more soulfully.
At each page, each time, we are offered the possibility to embrace the page-turning consciously, or to resist it. It is not easy – what is? – and yet it is so simple, and so natural. Try it, just once, just next time. Each experience is unique, each page we turn possesses its unique texture, and we are enriched by each page turned over. How we value this gift is up to us, and our conscious attitude greatly influences our ability to feel joyful, peaceful, simply alive and deeply connected to the Soul of the World.
Reflect upon the last time life hinted at the need to turn the page – a major or minor event, an encounter, an opportunity at work or in your personal relationships. How did you engage with this invitation to turn the page? Did you rush to turn the page? Did you hesitate? Did you fear what would happen if…? Did you procrastinate hoping it would all go away and leave you alone?
How did life respond? How did you experience the page being turned – willingly or not? What did you learn from it?