How can we find meaning in life, beyond our challenges and suffering? Pain is an inevitable aspect of our human experience. Whether it comes through disappointment, betrayal, loss, or unfulfilled dreams, suffering touches each of us at some point. And yet, as difficult as it feels in the moment, it can also be the doorway to discovering what we want and what we are made of.
When we are hurting, the ego-mind despairs, “Why me?” But a more liberating question should be, “What is this showing me about myself?” Because within every challenge and hardship lies an invitation to shed illusions, release attachments, and awaken to deeper aspects of ourselves.
Suffering strips us down to essentials. It dismantles the false identities we cling to—our roles, achievements, relationships, and the beliefs that may have given us a sense of stability. Through this process, something greater is revealed: our resilience, hidden inner resources, and the quiet presence of Pure Awareness that exists beyond the storm of emotions.
Pain and difficulties can point us inward, where we can discover a new sense of purpose or direction. It helps us see that our true purpose is not about what we do, but about our perception and experience—how deeply we embody compassion, clarity, and authenticity in the complexity of life’s challenges.
From Pain to Wisdom & Purpose
Think of every difficulty you’ve endured as a stepping stone. What once felt like a stumbling block eventually becomes part of the path that leads you forward. Once you embrace your wounds, they soften your heart, deepen your empathy, and sharpen your discernment, leading to a more spiritually mature perception of life.
The ultimate purpose of life is to be happy by knowing what and who you truly are—Pure Awareness and Love. But how can you achieve this if your mind bombards you with an ongoing flow of desires, doubts, and fears that feed negative emotions and reactions? This is how it blocks or fragments the totality of your true Self to give you individualized experiences at the expense of keeping you disconnected and dissatisfied.
You must move from the egoic idea that life is about pleasure and control to fully embrace it as it is, knowing that it takes care of itself (see How Loving Life Unconditionally Can Bring Inner Peace and Joy). The shift happens when you stop resisting the inherent suffering of your human experience and begin to recognize it as a catalyst prodding you toward your own liberation. Pain reveals what is not sustainable, what no longer aligns with who you are becoming, and what must be released for something new to be born.
The September 22 Eclipse Portal
The solar eclipse on September 22 in Virgo mirrors this process of stripping away to realign with a higher truth. Eclipses mark turning points; they’re cosmic resets that illuminate what must end so that something more authentic can emerge.
Virgo, the sign of discernment, healing, and sacred order, invites us to examine where we have been living out of alignment—with our bodies, our work, our daily rhythms, and our integrity. Under this eclipse, unexpected pain or regrets may signal what needs attention and what must shift.
If we anchor in the flow of life, we can turn our talents into something that creates value in the world. That is Virgo’s superpower. It turns what we know in our gut into the practical, everyday actions that make things happen and give shape to our experience.
The Moon temporarily blocks the light of the Sun during an eclipse. Similarly, our moments of darkness often conceal an emerging light. The pause, the uncertainty, the dismantling, all of it makes way for renewal.
The Solar Eclipse in Virgo is in opposition to Saturn, which can feel tight and confining. But this tension can wake us up, reminding us that the walls we feel around us are often self-made, shaped by habits of thought and perception we’ve kept in place to feel safe and in control. These structures easily become a prison if we neglect to question or refresh them.
Find Meaning in Life Beyond Suffering
When we honor our pain as part of the spiritual journey, rather than something to avoid, we find meaning beyond the ego. We discover that hardship is not punishment but purification; not a detour but an initiation.
Its purpose emerges when we ask:
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What is this showing me about myself?
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How can this help me become more whole, more balanced, or more self-aware?
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How can I bring compassion—to myself and to others—through this experience?
As a great, enlightened master once said, Pleasure puts you to sleep, and pain wakes you up! Your purpose is not separate from your challenges; it emerges from them. Every difficulty, every eclipse in your life holds the seed of awakening, if you are willing to look deeper.
Let the September eclipse be a reminder that no darkness lasts forever. Even in the most difficult situations, you are being guided toward greater clarity and freedom because these are aspects of your true, divine nature.
The journey from pain to purpose is not about skirting around suffering but about allowing it to polish and refine your perception. When you see hardships as stepping stones, you no longer walk as a victim of life; you turn life into a journey of self-discovery to shed the illusions and attachments that make you suffer.
And this is your greatest purpose: to find meaning in life as it unfolds. So, contact me today to delve deeply within you and discover your inner resources and talents as you gain emotional and spiritual freedom to live an empowering life in your own terms!
If you’re not ready to work with me as your spiritual mentor to delve deeply within, you can learn about the workings of the ego-mind to transform your perception and experience by implementing the Swan Method I share in You Are Your Healer: The Ultimate Guide to Heal Your Past, Transform Your Life & Awaken to Your True Self!
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