The Sacred Call Within Life’s Challenges

A fossilized shell on the Algarvian Cliffs

This morning as I walked the cliffs I noticed sea shells embedded in the rock formations, fossilized for eternity, a reminder of times gone by and how everything changes and evolves. Once upon a time this cliff I stand on was underwater. Now the cliffs are layered with the passage of time, stripes of colored limestone ripping across like a timeless calendar. Standing over the ocean, I heard a word in my mind – perspective. Nature has so much to teach us about life's ebbs and flows. There’s a dance between being in the present moment and understanding that we are in that constant ebb and flow of time from past to present to future. How does that inform our perspective when life is challenging?

When I face those moments where everything seems to be falling apart I return to the shamanic wisdom concept of "unidad" and "totalidad." This beautiful concept reminds us that we exist both as singular beings and as part of the great collective consciousness.

When things don't unfold as planned in my life – not as many clients as before, trying to cut through the noise of social media to have my offers be noticed, wondering how to better market the books I have published – I've learned not to immediately jump into that frantic energy of doing. Our modern world teaches us to react, to hustle harder, to immediately try to fix and control. But my shamanic lessons have shown me another way.

Instead, I sit in the discomfort (or walk on the cliffs) and ask myself, "What is being called forth in me? What am I being called to do in this moment?"

This question creates sacred space between challenge and response. It honors the mystery.

I see this in relationships too. When we feel someone pulling away, or we sense ourselves pulling away, our instinct is to grasp tighter, to desperately hold on even when the universe might be creating space for something new to emerge. That grasping energy rarely serves us. There are many other places in our lives where this dynamic plays out.

I'm not saying we shouldn't be practical – there's absolutely a time for decisiveness and action. But that time isn't usually at the beginning of a challenge. First comes the listening.

When life opens unexpected gaps, whether it's suddenly empty calendar days that were once filled with clients, or the absence of someone you thought would always be there, these aren't merely problems to solve. They're invitations to a deeper exploration of your life.

What challenges are you facing now? What is this situation calling forth in you? What dormant gifts are asking to awaken? What are you being invited to release?

I've witnessed this pattern not only in my journey but in our collective experience. In community, in society, even globally with disruptions, new technologies, politics, environmental problems, the shamanic perspective invites us to ask: "What is this calling forth in us as a collective?"

When we approach challenges this way, we find ourselves moving into right action that feels aligned with our deeper purpose, even when it defies conventional wisdom or the path we thought we were on. And perhaps that's the greatest gift. These difficult moments break us open, shattering our limiting beliefs and assumptions.

So I invite you to sit with these questions: What is being called forth in you? What are you being called to do or shift? What is emerging within you that has not yet had space to appear?

Take these questions to the quiet spaces in your life. Step away from the noise, walk beneath trees older than your worries, let water wash over your feet, sit with yourself in the garden. Don't force an answer. Simply create the conditions for wisdom to arise. Release what you think should happen. The answers will come when your heart is ready to receive them. This process is not one of forcing something to happen. It’s about allowing something new and tender to emerge.

Even when the unknown feels frightening, remember – these sacred pauses aren't empty. They're pregnant with possibility, waiting for you to listen deeply enough to hear what they're whispering.