How to Find My Way When I Lost Sight of Direction
By Petra Juhászová (United Kingdom)
‘Transition is the natural process of disorientation and reorientation that marks the turning points in the path of growth… transitions are key times in the natural process of self-renewal.’
William Bridges
There is always a time in everyone’s life when they feel they have lost direction. Everything is just a routine without a sense of fulfilment. Even if you like what you do, there is still something missing. You just don’t know what, but it feels a little hollow inside. We all want to feel that we are heading towards a certain direction. That we are fulfilling our potential. That we are growing as human beings.
The outside world has become so noisy that it is really hard to listen to ourselves. We are pushed to consume more and more without even thinking whether we really need what we are offered. In a twisted way, I can see this overconsumption as a cry out for connections. If I have what everyone else has then I will be one of them, I will be part of the group, and I will not be alone.
I believe that we all have a special purpose for being here. Sometimes it is sharing ideas that change the course of history, but sometimes it is ‘less’ impactful on a worldwide scale. Sometimes it is just to learn how to share a smile without fear, or guilt. Sometimes we just need to learn an important lesson for ourselves.
But what can we do when we lose sight of our direction? How can we see the path forward when all we see is nothingness. As if you were walking in a thick fog and you can only see your feet and see the road only a few steps ahead. It is scary. Your mind starts playing tricks on you. Just as when you wake up in the middle of the night, open your eyes, but your eyes can’t see anything. However, as soon as you realise it is night time, you start relying on different senses of yours and somehow you know what to do.
The Wheel of Four Directions
During my work with Systemic constellations I came across the Wheel of Four Directions. This is a wheel that can be used in many settings, but principally as a way of gathering insights and body-based information about any issue. It was developed and used in old cultures – particularly in Shamanic traditions. The wheel is a map of wholeness connected to movement. It includes the four directions (as the name suggests – East, South, West, North and the Centre where all these directions come together).
Explanations:
East – red – childhood, students – self-esteem/inferiority, Vision and awareness, Developing feeling of competence, choice and personal power, ‘See it’
South – yellow, summer, youth – relationships (self & other)/Envy, Understand, Developing identity and the ability to relate to others – ‘Relate to it’
West – autumn, adulthood – Parents/teachers, respect/fear, Knowledge, Reason, Developing attitudes and actions for the well-being of all – ‘Figure it out’
North – white – winter, elderly, caring/not caring , Movement, Wisdom, Power to use wisdom for others’ development – ‘Do it’
Centre – green, The Land – Personal and group identity, Source of strength, place of healing
As an experiment, I used this wheel while writing this article and would like to share what I experienced. And maybe this would encourage you too to give it a try and see what comes up for you. The best insights come from within.
The Wheel of four directions in use
Focus on your issue. However, instead of drilling your brain trying to figure out logically what should be the next step, just notice the sensations in your body. Is it pleasant or rather unpleasant? Our somatic experience carries a message to us. We often don’t notice these as we are too focused on what’s going on around us. This is a place when you have a chance to allow the insight and notions to come to you rather than relentlessly searching for them tiring your body and mind.
Source: iCN Issue 38 (Life Coaching: Professional Growth & Direction); pages 26-28
About Petra Juhászová
Systemic Constellations Practitioner, Systemic Life Coach, Reiki Practitioner, EFT Practitioner. Petra works with people to help them to understand, process, transform their difficulties into helpful resources and create a forward movement. Having a background in education, Petra understands how important it is to support people on their journey and help them to reconnect with their inner resources. Her friendly, caring and warm attitude contributes to creating a safe environment for her clients to explore what needs to be explored.
For more info please visit www.empfinity.com
