Removing Obscurations That Block Your Joy

In the previous article we talked about one of the primary blocks to achieving the goal of joy – obscurations. Obscurations are blocks or something that hinders you from reaching your goal.I mentioned that having the intention to have joy in your life automatically brings the obscurations to the forefront, to be healed. As a matter of fact, they are usually right in front of us – we just don’t see them or we choose to ignore them. My intention in this article is to give you a real life example of an obscuration that I had – explaining where it came from, how it surfaced and how I ultimately dealt with it. Hopefully this example will help you to begin to formulate your own roadmap to discovering your own obscurations and healing them.

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away and not so long ago; I was sitting on my back porch enjoying the beautiful day – minding my own business. Out of the north flew seven hawks flying right at me. Seven hawks – I had never seen such a thing. As they got closer they banked west and flew out of sight. Under normal circumstances I would not have paid much attention, but this was unusual and I had been learning sign and symbol from my Native American teacher. So, my reaction was – oh sh... What’s up? I knew enough to decode the symbols but that doesn’t tell you what the specific event is or how it will appear. What it does do is give you the heads up that something big is coming and you had better pay attention or you might miss the opportunity to heal an aspect of yourself.

As it turns out, I didn’t have to wait long for the event appear. If my memory serves me – it was within a week. I met someone who I instantly didn’t like. I had never met this person before and new nothing about him. I just knew I didn’t like him. I met him two more times – each time my dislike grew stronger. I didn’t know at the time that this was "The Event” or vehicle for a healing. I just knew I couldn’t stand the man.

On the third meeting, I couldn’t even shake his hand when he offered it. My girlfriend, who just happened to be there, was perplexed to say the least. An emotion of loathing came over me and I needed to go home and deal with it. I told my friend I had to go and I got out of there fast or as the old folks used to say "lick -a-de split. This was not normal for me. Even when I am not fond of someone, I am always courteous – it’s that Venus – Moon conjunction in Taurus, for those of you familiar with astrology.

I didn’t like my behavior that day and I needed to get to the bottom of where it was coming from – and fast. Side note: you must at all times be conscious of your emotions. Your emotions are the compass and guidance systems of your life.

Well, I went home and started a procedure I use to get to the bottom of any emotional issue. I asked myself the simple questions: Where is this coming from? What is the root cause of this behavior? What is it about him that has triggered this response in me? All of us have to take responsibility for our own actions and behavior regardless of what someone else does or says to us. By doing so, we help ourselves clear out old wounds, which ultimately leads to more joy in our life. This also means the light of which we all are made of shines brighter in the world – which makes the world a more joyous place. We have to be whatever it is we are seeking in others. By the way, if we want world peace – clearing our personal obscurations is the beginning point.

To continue the story – I received my answer to the above questions quickly. The man represented something I didn’t like. Who he was as a person was confirmed in a later conversation with my girlfriend – he was an abuser of relationships. It was in his being and it triggered a deep pain within me of all the times I had been violated emotionally and physically. This was the message from the hawks a week earlier. I was at a crossroads – double "oh sh….” I could choose to swallow the pain that had surfaced or clear it out. If I chose to swallow it – it would still be there continuing to affect my life and my relationships from the subconscious. One of the ways this issue gripped me, without my knowing it was ‘not having clear boundaries’.

There are many ways my life was affected by this issue and now the raw pain was in my face saying "Ok, yes this is hear – it is not who you are now. It no longer serves a purpose. You are strong enough to deal with the pain now. It is time to rid your self of this once and for all. Will you do it or will you swallow it and let it continue to affect your life in a non-beneficial way? Once an issue has come to the conscious mind it wants to be healed – pushing it back below the surface makes it worse.

I have learned, the hard way to heal issues when they surface and when I recognize them. The process I use involves a lot of crying and writing and basically being with the pain until I get to a point of forgiveness. When you feel the forgiveness in your heart for the perpetrator, perceived perpetrator and yourself, you know that you have healed the issue. Yes, you heard correct. I had to forgive my perpetrators. That doesn’t mean that what was done to me was ok – far from it. It means that I was tired of carrying the pain of it. They have to deal with their stuff in their own way, but I had to be free of it.I couldn’t worry about pay back - I had to let go. No one ever get’s away with anything, ultimately. Universal laws are at work in all of our lives at all times. As humans we want to see the person who did us wrong be punished. Then what – we are still left with the pain.

After I went through my process of clearing the pain, I called my girlfriend up and told her it was done. She being a very good Scorpio friend uttered words I will never forget. She said "I don’t know – you won’t know if you have completely healed it until you see this man again”. To which I replied: "I have no idea if that will ever happen. We don’t travel in the same circles so I don’t think I will see him again. I am not going to worry about it; it’s gone. I feel lighter in my heart.”

I am sure my spirit guides were laughing so hard at my statement that they had to put themselves in a "time out” on a cloud somewhere to calm down. They probably called in other spirit guides to watch what happened next. They had their version of reality TV – human style.

The very next night after I made those bold statements – I was at an event and who do I see? Yes, it was the same man who I had refused to shake hands with. He was at a table with his wife. Here comes the test – is the issue completely healed or is there still some of it lingering in the recesses of my heart. I would know instantly, via my compass – the heart. I got up from my table, went over to where he and his wife were sitting and I said hello, while putting my hand out – inviting a hand shake. He shook my hand and we had a nice chat. I went back to my seat and knew – it was healed. I was neutral, where he was concerned. I didn’t have an aversion to him nor did I have an attraction.This time my words were "holy sh… it’s done.” I am clear of that issue. From the moment I saw the hawks flying toward me to that evening was two weeks. An issue that was in my subconscious mind for many years - had been cleared in less than a month. Needless to say, I ate my desert that night.

Since then – symptoms relating to that issue have also cleared, such as boundaries, self esteem, nervousness, internal rage, and last but not least – being able to speak my truth without fear of rejection.

I hope this story helps you to see the way to embarking on your own journey to clearing away the obscurations in your life - that block your joy and happiness. It does take work, dedication, commitment and a willingness to be present with each moment. From where I stand – it is worth it. My life is filled with joy and yours can be also.