January 27, 2012

Stories of Synchronicity


I find sharing stories of synchronicity to be much like dream sharing. It provides a way to explore both the personal and deeper, symbolic meanings of our lives. It is remarkable how one person's story when related in a heartfelt manner to another supports and uplifts both people’s lives in unexpected ways. This kind of sharing between my friend “K” and myself led to some surprising coincidences and important inner validations having to do with the meaning of writing in our lives. I’ve written about this and other such experiences on the SynchronicityDreamJournaling Yahoo! Group, and invite you to check out the group for yourself by clicking on the above hyperlink.


Although we’ve never met in person, K and I have been sharing our stories in the form of thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and personal grief and triumphs for the past 6 years via the Internet through women’s groups and other networking venues we belong to. I’ve come to consider her a dear friend and soul sister, and envision that our paths will cross in person one of these days.

A few days ago K sent me an email in answer to one I’d sent her. In it she mused briefly about a subject dear to both out hearts: creative writing and how to fit it into our lives on a regular basis.

K wrote –

How is your writing going? I have realized that I have been so busy trying to implement all of these other things that I had hoped would be good adjuncts to my writing that I have been completely neglecting writing. (It's amazing what tricks fear can get us to do, is it not?) So I am shifting priorities and trying to get back to a focus on writing because that seems to be where the strongest pull always is. No matter what other pathways I try to run down, they keep circling me right
back to the need to write. I think of you often as I work on writing. I think I may need to do another trip through The Artist's Way to help get me moving again.”

I answered (in part) –

“Here's a synchronicity for you since you were talking about the importance of
writing in your life. Today, my friend Aria and I went to Spirit Rock Meditation Center to hear A.H. Almaas - founder of the Diamond Heart Approach to
spirituality that is taught at the Ridhwan Center here in Berkeley.
Something he said prompted Aria, to ask me, “So, Jenna, what is your most sacred
spiritual practice?” I responded without a second's hesitation, "Writing." It's
true...I channel much of my spirituality from writing and feel in tune with my
higher calling when I make time for writing in my life. It sounds like we are
two peas in a pod, you and I. Best to do what makes our hearts sing...even when
it isn't the easiest path to take. Writing is HARD work!  I hide out from it as much as I can stand, but I am always called back to my practice again and again.

Funny thing, I had thought of pulling out my copy of Artist's Way again and
restarting morning pages. I have many journals filled with morning pages that
don't seem that all that exciting. But when I was faithful to the process as
well as the weekly "artist dates" it seemed to fuel my writing creativity in a
special way.”

K’s delightful response –

“Oh, what synchronicity for me in the story you shared about your own
synchronicity! I have never explicitly thought of my writing as a spiritual
activity, but the moment I read your words I recognized it as truth for me also
in a deeply body-felt way. This was especially meaningful to me because I had
just had a (challenging) conversation with someone yesterday evening who was
commenting on the importance of writing in my life by saying that she used to
feel a need to journal a lot but now that she had matured further and developed
more spiritual tools, she was not so dependent on it. I had been feeling so
invalidated and diminished by her comments, but the recognition that for me
writing truly is my primary sacred spiritual practice allowed me to reclaim my
joy and nourishment in my writing at an even deeper level than before so that
her differing truth was no longer a threat to my own truth. I am deeply grateful
to you for sharing your story; it has helped me to claim my own truth and my own
identity in a new and deeper way. Thank you! “

At the time I wrote my first email response above, I didn’t know why I felt the need to share the story about Aria’s question and my answer, because K and I we were actually discussing another, more pressing, matter in the original emails (not being relevant, that issue is not shared here). However, I’ve learned to follow my intuition when a story tugs at my heart wanting to be shared. More often than not, it is the universe’s way of conspiring to bring souls together in a joyful dance of spiritual evolution. And I just love it when that happens! If you do, too, please feel free to share your own inspiring stories here in “Comments.” 

Ciao,

Jenna

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