“Life’s a bowl of cherries,” sings the optimist with full reverie.

Well, that sweet bowl never materialized on my table.

Life always tasted sour. Before moving residence to “Spiritual Land” (no, this is not a new Disney park theme), I would search for any explanation for why bad things happen. This assuaged my sadness about the challenges I faced since early childhood.

I became a clinical social worker where science and the intellect superseded anything that was esoteric. Only observable and reportable evidence to support my “study” was acceptable. I would not see anything that was unseen.

Mocking yogis and gurus came to a halt about 10 years ago when chemical sensitivities rendered me homebound. My life spiraled into the unknown. Doctors could not explain what was happening to me. I found myself shut out of the very institution I had claimed as my bastion. The “dark night of the soul” had me in its grips.

Here, I was faced with the opportunity to challenge everything. Yes, everything.

An energy medicine practitioner magically appeared on my path. As he began treating me, I healed. Spiritual books were suggested reading; I trusted this soul, therefore, any recommendations outside the box were welcome. It was here I learned life’s dirty secret: Life’s a bowl of cherries.

Why do I write this piece, you may wonder? Heck! How can I let a good dark night of the soul go to waste? Many of you have not yet tasted the sweetness. Instead, you find yourself, as I did, commiserating about family feuds, health woes, financial straits and relationship bollixes.

It is almost contagious. Is this new normal here to stay? I don’t believe so.

Since man could first suck his thumb, conversations became the fashion around feeling victimized or unlucky. People still tend to believe they are passive receivers of misfortune. My take on this free-wheeling world of chaos is starkly different.

In Spiritual Land, “Oh,-I-have-a-very-bad-feeling-about-this” encounters are rich in meaning and perfect in every way. Perfect. (You read that correctly.)

As paradoxical as it is to say misfortune is perfect, I share that this conventional social worker, who dissed “earthy, crunchy people,” became gifted with psychic and healing abilities. Not only did I embrace past lives, karma, and pre-birth planning, I connected with all I was unable to see before my acute bout with chemical sensitivities.

The “Psychic Is In” neon sign I fiercely loathed became emblazoned on professional business cards.

I would surmise to say that most of you reading this piece have had quite a bumpy ride-of-a-life to date. Many of us who are awakening to spiritual Truth chose before incarnating to have life experiences that moved us far from center. Men and women often share with me, “It’s a miracle I’m here today,” or “What I went through would make you cry.”

Why do we have the “dark night of the soul” written into our pre-birth plan? How many of us awaken after entering this film noir? I suppose it depends upon whether a soul is ready to see…or not to see.

Today, I wear many hats: healer, channel, and spiritual guide. Clients ask me, “Did I ask for this?” “What was I thinking?” “Why did it become so difficult?” Each response is different.

I “go in,” or channel whether they pre-birth planned these challenging events to occur or whether post-incarnation free will choices led them to their dark story of stories.

If one is unfamiliar with pre-birth planning, let me take a moment to describe this blessed process.

Back at “Home,” we meet with members of our soul group—like-minded ones we travel with for soul growth opportunities. Spirit guides, Masters, angels, and a myriad of others also participate in this important planning session. We make specific decisions about our gender, physical appearance, health, who our parents will be, whether we will have a career and more.

We almost always decide on at least one challenge to face in order to expand ourselves on a spiritual level.

Most of what is not then planned before birth is left open to creating a post-incarnation reality based on free will choice. Karma, vows, contracts and negative energies all affect decision making and outcomes.

Some choose to experience a disability. Others choose to become an addict. Still, others may choose incarceration. The list of “horrors” is endless.

At birth, we are touched over the head with the Veil of Forgetfulness, or the Veil of Unknowing. Most souls are unable to remember their plan—what they hope to learn through the challenge(s) they put down before them when they were on “the other side.”

We each have at least two spirit guides with whom we agree to work from our inception to our passing. These are souls who we know from other lifetimes. They assist us from Home while we remain here in “Earth School.” Guides can change out and others can join the cast. Spirit guides are with us 24/7 and chat with our higher selves, advising us what is for our highest good.

Now, when we come to the point in our life—the moment on our timeline that is sad, horrifying, life-threatening, awkward—it is here we have great opportunity to grow as a spiritual being.

Fear is often all-encompassing and rears itself in many ways at this time. Do we isolate? Become depressed? Drink too much? Lash out with words and/or fists? The movie you have created is now at a critical point. This is the fork in the road one comes to in the forest when all friends are lost, the last morsels of food are eaten, and the compass has fallen in the river.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come?”

You are your own savior, directing this seemingly depraved and nasty drama (if I might pull the veil down a bit further). You get to choose fear or love. The choice of remaining fearful does not afford you the opportunity to learn from the challenge(s) before you.

You may choose to remain exactly where you are. If you do, no judgment or punishment will come to you when you return home. The seemingly bad events, which I believe are divine opportunities become missed if fear prevails.

Love, on the other hand, begets movement out of a hole.

Love is the opposite of fear. It shows its face as hope, faith, determination, fortitude, balance, creativity, and all feelings that enable one to see. You have the beautiful and blessed option, always, to choose love. Whether you are ailing or thriving, love is always available to you. It has never been apart from you, though you might have forgotten it was there.

I suggest love, because it not only feels good, but the dark night becomes dawn with every hopeful breath.

Clients ask me about forgiveness, acceptance, gratitude and remaining in the present moment, the now. I strongly urge them to incorporate these concepts into their repertoire. When any Love vibration of a concept is utilized, miracles can occur. Shifts are made. One may experience joy, bliss–the Rapture.

“Darkness before the dawn,” it has been said. Yes. Oftentimes, this is so in Earth School. What a Heavenly place where one may learn powerful life lessons!

“To see, or not to see?”

I believe you get to decide this, my friend, for the adventure is yours in the making. Will you see the bowl of cherries?

Love elephant and want to go steady?

Sign up for our (curated) daily and weekly newsletters!

Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: Julie/Flickr