As my baby’s first birthday approaches, I find myself in reverent reflection of all I experienced in the months, weeks and days prior to his arrival. Consumed with anxiety, anticipation, fear, excitement, joy and hope, the intensity of the unknown details that come with bringing new life into the world rattled me with great discomfort. In hindsight, I am in awe of the physical, emotional and spiritual transformations that occurred in such a condensed period of time, for the birth of my child was also a rebirth of myself, simply and synchronistically symbolic of the many inescapable rebirths and Selves that are an inherent part of the human experience.
Any time we are on the verge of rebirth into our next best Self, isn’t it true that we do everything in our power to resist the waiting period between who we are now and who we know we are meant to be?
In the days leading up to the birth of my baby, all my senses heightened. With each new physical sensation I wondered if this was “it” — the rebirth. Like in my previous rebirth experiences, I psyched myself into thinking that it was time, even though I intuitively knew that it wasn’t. With each new arrival of a Braxton Hicks contraction, I built energy around the sensation, emphasizing within myself, that it was time, only to a few hours later lose energy and hope, realizing — no — it wasn’t. This waiting period, whether I wanted it or not, gave opportunity to focus on my intention — to bring life into this world with ease and purpose. And by staying grounded and enduring the discomfort, I was prepared and shown the next step into my new being.
After agonizing days of waiting, it was as if, in an instant, it was time. There was no resistance. There was no anxiety. Physical pain, yes, but it was worth it and it was welcomed because I knew that I knew that I knew the time had come — that the work would be done for me if I just allowed space for it. I breathed deeply and celebrated each contraction, knowing that with each new instance of transcendent pain I was that much closer to entering the new chapter of my Self. And then, just like that, he was here.
On the verge of evolving into our next best Self, we are overcome with fear, anxiety, excitement, panic, curiosity and resistance. However insecure and bewildered we may feel, this amalgam of responses is the best sign for what is to come. For, in the intensity of the emotions that consume us during times of the unknown, our efforts must be matched, must be balanced and must be honored. For it is inevitable. Nature is not stagnant. Nature is balanced, constantly changing and evolving, creating and recreating. And, as part of nature, what an honor it is that we have the opportunity to contribute to our own evolution and, in turn, the collective evolution.
In doing the spiritual work to find and stay in alignment, be mindful and self-aware and trust the process, regardless of how uncomfortable we may feel, our preparation will lead us to the empowering rebirth into exactly who we are meant to be — that is, until our next rebirth.
Birth is animalistic, grotesque, painful and — throughout the process —unbearable. But what comes from birth is the most awe-inspiring, miraculous and humblingly joyful gift. By allowing ourselves to learn and be empowered by discomfort, have the wisdom to see beyond the urgency to catapult into the next phase and channel patience and trust, our path becomes known.
Let us embrace birth. Let us embrace rebirth. Let us evolve and transcend and become who we came here to be. Over and over and over again.
