The gift of the dark night

In modern use, the term ‘the dark night of the soul’ describes a profound period of inner crisis, loss of meaning, or emotional and spiritual darkness that we move through before emerging into greater clarity or transformation.

It’s the times when:

• our business may be suffering and we doubt everything we’ve been working on
• we don’t get the promotion, we’re told we’ve got a long way to go, and we start questioning our capabilities
• a relationship is on the rocks
• rounds of IVF have failed and we question ourselves and our vision for children

These times in our lives are heavy.

We face doubt, we question ourselves, we question others, we may question life.

It’s deeply vulnerable. Our fears, insecurities, and deepest wounds come to the surface.

If you look back at your life, of which I’m sure you’ve had a few of these times, what became possible on the other side of that?

These moments in our life serve a powerful purpose, of which I’ll share three.

1.It increases our desire

If it were not for these times of experiencing what we don’t want, we would not be clear on what we do want. Desire is at its highest during these times of inner crisis.

2. It builds our character

Every hero’s journey in films has times when the main character is tested. We are no different. The test becomes the initiation that makes us wiser, more powerful.

3. Transformation through letting go

Just like a butterfly has to let go of being a caterpillar through the cocoon, this process allows us to let go of the version of ourselves we are no longer. Maybe it’s the conditioned version of us that got us here, but won’t take us to the next chapter.

So, how do we best deal with these times?

We deal with them by not resisting.

The more we allow these times in our lives to flow, rather than ignore them, the greater the result.

The opposite of resistance is acceptance, and acceptance is allowing. Allowing the experience, slowing down, getting curious, processing the emotion, zooming out and seeing ourselves as the main character in our story.

There is no growth without these times.

For many of us who are leaders, artists, entrepreneurs, and creators, we desire to grow, expand, create. It is in these times where that can occur.

How can you be more welcoming of these times in your life?

Jaineel

p.s here’s how I can support you on next steps:

• 🧠 Get Out of Your Own Head — 90 minutes. One 1:1 session. A bespoke report. Walk away with a concrete plan you can act on immediately. No ongoing commitment. Limited to 8 sessions per month.
• 📓 Journal with Jaineel 7 Day Experience for Free — 7 days, 10 minutes a day. One prompt.
• 🧘 Download my free guided meditation — 20 minutes to calibrate your energy and shift your state. Remember: you don’t attract what you want, you attract who you are.
• 📞 Let’s talk — if you’re ready to do this work 1:1 or in a group setting, book a call with me.

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