If we look at it from a worldly perspective, 2020 was as far from safety as one could imagine especially if you work in the health care sector engaging with Covid patients on a daily basis. Yet, I was safe, I was protected on a much deeper level, protected physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually by an All- Powerful, All- loving, All-merciful Creator. I was safe within the chaos of the world and the chaos of my own personal life challenges.
And, then, came 2021. I guess when I chose the word “connected”, I was thinking about my social isolation, I had moved into a new city, a new setting, a new job; I was harshly judged by my own community, rejected and alienated by many people who I once considered close friends – yet, God had intended for me a much deeper connection… connection with Him SWT. I spent so much time during this year in what Joseph Campbell calls, “the Belly of the Whale,” trying to make sense of the chaos of my life.
One thing I learned about the nature of this Belly of the Whale is that you do not get to choose when or how you get out… you just surrender… totally surrender and once you reach that stage… once you are ready, you’ll find yourself in the world again totally renewed and rejuvenated, totally transformed and restored – a better and more wholesome version of you… a version that is free of judgement, free from anger or resentment, a version that is filled with love for the world even if this world still seems unfair and unfriendly.. a version that is “connected” to herself, to God and to the world… a version that is at peace with life ambiguity and paradoxes… AT PEACE! This feels like the my needed word for 2022... Feeling at peace.
So, how do I want to feel in 2022? I want to feel At Peace... peace of mind and heart. I am craving for a tranquil soul (Nafs mutma’inna), satisfied, and content… A soul that is working for love & service, a soul embodying the beauty that God created deep inside all of us… a soul that trust God in the dark as well as in the light moments… a soul that surrenders yet keeps working and striving for spiritual excellence (Ihsan). A soul At Peace!
Now, it is your turn, how do you want to feel in 2022?
Have a beautiful week.