Awakening to a blissful life requires a lot of personal growth work, and it is absolutely an incredible journey. But it is also challenging and emotional, as it requires you to step up to be the best version of yourself. In the end though, if you stay true to yourself and trust your instincts, you will come to a place you could not have imagined. That place is the true YOU, the you that deserves light and love and happiness.

Once you get there, once you have jumped off the proverbial cliff with no fear and trusted in yourself and the guidance of the universe, you will feel reborn. It’s like being energized and filled with a beautiful light that spreads throughout your body, cleansing and envigorating. You may start to laugh, smile or cry at times from sheer happiness, your body may experience vibrating or buzzing sensations, and you may start to experience things that are inexplicable – visions, instincts, strange signs, bizarre dreams and heightened intuition, to name a few. It is an amazing experience.

Like any journey, once you come down from the initial awakening high and sink back into your life patterns (work, school, etc.), there will be times you may feel lonely, especially around people who are not awakened and don’t understand what you went through. During such times you may doubt decisions you made and miss your old life or an old relationship – even if you know in your heart that the decisions were soundly made and that you can never go back to an unfulfilling existence where you did not get what you needed. These feelings are perfectly normal. I have experienced them – mostly when I am low like when I don’t feel well or when I am overwhelmed with work. There are many things that can trigger these feelings, and it is important to recognize that they are normal.

I have had these feelings and I am glad they come once in a while, because they are a reminder that I made a commitment to myself to do the things that are right for me, my happiness and peace of mind. Once I recognize such feelings I let them go, because my awakening into self-love taught me to trust my intuition, to put myself first so I can honor my quest for true happiness as long as I am alive.

One thing that always helps me, especially during the low times, is to write down the things about myself for which I am grateful. Conversely, it helps to write down the things I need to let go. I did a lot of this over the course of the last few years, but it always makes me feel better to revisit this writing practice, and I can tailor the letting go part to my specific feelings. For example, if I am missing having a partner with whom to share my life I will express my gratitude for being brave enough to leave an unhappy marriage, so that I can pursue true happiness within myself (knowing this step must happen first) before I find a partner with whom I can grow and create a meaningful relationship. I release any doubts I have that cause me to question my intuition, knowing that there was so much thought behind my decision and that I listened to my heart. I list all the doubts I am feeling and then let them go. This exercise allows me to be open so that I am available (emotionally, spiritually, physically and mentally) when the right partner comes my way.

There is something cathartic about expressing ourselves through writing, even if we never share it with anyone. It is a tool I have used all my life to keep myself grounded and get through difficult times. I sometimes write letters to people I let go, but never send or give them to those people. It is my way of expressing myself as if I am talking to them, of getting closure and securing that promise to myself to love myself and put me first in my pursuit of happiness.

Trusting yourself self means embracing your essence, your truth, and allows you to be your highest self. The more you continue to listen to that inner voice and your heart, the more beauty you will experience.