It was a beautiful, calm Sunday morning with the sun slowly making its daily ascent in the clear, bright blue sky--one that would eventually encompass the entire island within its warm. Strong rays dry the dewy kisses bestowed upon the grass by the cooler overnight temperatures. We began our day energetically after hearing the interesting exotic and melodic sounds of the various birds announcing the official arrival of the morning.
After one cup of coffee and some rather intense thought provoking conversation, we grabbed a second cup and made our way to the back of the house where we intended to continue our exchange and more than likely discuss how we would spend our Sunday. It was incredibly peaceful as we excitedly prepared to enjoy our second cup of coffee, hardly having lost a beat in our discussion; so peaceful in fact; that neither my friend nor I had noticed the unusual silence that now enveloped the property.
With the sky still bright and us chattering away, I was not yet fully sitting when I heard a loud thunderous rolling sound similar to the strong vibration of an enormous truck coming down the hill with its jake brake on. As the vibration increased and the sound grew louder, the house began to shake underneath our feet. My mind searched its data bank eagerly and extensively to create a mental connection and explanation for what we were experiencing, however within a few more seconds, the ever increasing noise and intensity of the earth shaking would clearly reveal to us that we were indeed experiencing a powerful earthquake.
We were at least half way through the quake by the time we realized we were in the midst of such an unpredictable, startling occurrence of nature. Those rather brief moments of watching the house shake more and more around us felt as though time stood still. We held our breath along with our coffee in astonishment, waiting for the earth to satisfy its need for movement before windows might shatter or walls crashed in around us. Each lengthy-feeling second held the opportunity for our environment to become familiar and safe once again as we had known it to be, although our perception of the surroundings would surely be altered.
Though I have lived in Los Angeles for less than two years, I learned how to be physically prepared for an earthquake before relocating while attempting to mentally prepare myself for the possibility. I had only been in LA for six months when I had my first experience with one.
My heavy king size bed felt light and soft within the power of the earth's vibrations awakening as though I was being rocked in a cradle. Although it was quite a new experience for me, I moved to L.A. aware that it was common for the area; therefore, I was somewhat prepared. My friend had lived in Los Angeles for even longer, hence experiencing a few large earthquakes.
The big difference is that on this Sunday morning, we were on the Big Island of Hawaii where no one expected an earthquake, which registered at 6.8, followed by a second registering at 5.8. Once the earth stopped shaking, the tumultuous waves of water in the pool gradually transformed back into a still, serene surface demonstrating the balance achieved once again by mother earth.
Once we assessed we had been extremely fortunate with minimal damage, we made our way down the hill to the downtown area of Kona in search of the breakfast we were unable to make without electricity. In all my trips to Hawaii, I had never thought about whether earthquakes are a natural occurrence. Consequently, my heart raced from the energy of it all, while I considered this was something new I didn't previously know about the island.
Day after day, we awaken with so many unconscious expectations of our impending experience. It's amazing how much we expect to take place without ever thinking about it--that is, until something we can't predict takes place and reminds us that we don't always know what lies before us. That morning in Hawaii, my friend who has lived there for more than seven years was completely surprised. having never heard of an earthquake that large taking place there. Likewise, in town, I saw how the locals on the island were deeply affected. In a matter of minutes, their perception of life on the island was altered.
Our lives are very similar. In spite of changes we desire to make or create, we all harbor a certain degree of perceived expectation. In Los Angeles where earthquakes are common, very few of us wake up in the morning expecting to experience one. We become acclimated to our environments and possess unconscious expectations of each day based on the typical events of previous days, weeks and even months. What happens when something disruptive to our expected experience, or life as we know it takes place? What is the opportunity for us? How do you handle the earthquakes in your life?
Sometimes we find ourselves seemingly caught by surprise; a positively perceived relationship fails... an awaited job opportunity inexplicably goes away... you suffer the unexpected loss of someone close to you. There are an infinite number of events that can and will take place in your life, which threaten your perceived reality, along with your feeling of security or comfort.
To a certain degree, we all take aspects of our future life experience for granted. What we can learn from the still water after the earthquake is, no matter what happens to cause ripples in your pool of life, there is an opportunity for great peace and stillness once the source(s) of those surges are addressed, or calm down. Having the patience to let the dust settle will often empower you with the knowledge and guidance of how to proceed. Some of our greatest gains come from our most difficult challenges. While we may not know all the reasons for sudden upheaval of plans or circumstances, when things start rocking, hold onto your coffee and ask yourself, what you can improve or build stronger because of the disruption.
How does all this relate to manifesting what you desire in your life?
When we desire to create balance or change in our lives, we may experience a few earthquakes and tremors of our own. Often, we bring about these quakes in our desire for change. Just as we don't always know what imbalance causes the earth to shake in order to reach a new state of balance, we may develop of vision of what we desire without recognizing the scope of what needs to change within our life experience and ourselves to successfully manifest our vision into reality.
There is so much power within nature that we cannot comprehend. Similarly, we frequently underestimate our ability and power to create change in our own lives. Once you begin the journey of creating what you desire, you may come face-to-face with characteristics, habits and relationships that do not support what you desire to manifest. These obstacles that lie between your present life experience and the one you aspire to enjoy, will often shake up the perception of your reality and security.
Since you gain this awareness while in the process of moving away from what you already know, and toward your new goal or dream, the discovery itself can feel incredibly unsettling thus disrupting your comfort zone. It may also contribute to fears and doubts. Conversely, simply manifesting what we say we want can feel like an earthquake. Once it arrives, we may realize we aren't totally prepared to receive or embrace it hence we run the risk of losing or squandering it.
Being aware that you may have to shake things up in order to manifest what you desire is the first step in being prepared for the unknown journey that comes before your desired destination. Remember that in the face of your personal earthquakes, often, the greater the disruption, the greater the opportunity for your growth and the sweeter the potential reward.
