Lately, I’ve been amused by the recurrence of several issues I thought I’d adequately dealt with over the course of my self-work. In fact, I’m not alone in this discovery. Recently, a client wrote to me, “I don’t know what that was all about – so many changes. But why am I still creating pain for myself??? I thought I was done with that.”

What a great question! Why DO we continue to create pain for ourselves long after we thought we were finished working through our issues? Ultimately, the answer is a simple one: Our issues reflect our psyches. Rather than being a simple expression of conscious and subconscious, we tend to be a rather complex association of conscious and subconscious layering.

When dealing with issues, we tend to revisit them over and over during the course of our healing journey. Whether it be relationship issues, addiction or chronic illness, we find ourselves staring our demons in the face time after time as we peel away the layers of the “onion”. As we work through the issues, we peel away a layer, exposing stuff that is deeper down. That “deeper down” stuff isn’t exactly the same as what we’ve worked on in the outer layers of a problem/situation. As we delve deeper, we expose different aspects. So, while the problem in its Big Picture remains largely the same, we’re working with different details than we may have seen before.

This multi-aspect iteration through our issues is both healthful and normal. It serves to remind us that what we see at any given moment is seldom all there is. Much like an iceberg hides all but the ice at the very surface, our problems can remain hidden from full view until we’ve spent much time working through them.

An important aspect of dealing with these issues is to remain nonjudgmental and admonishing. Laying any particular blame for a problem is rather inefficient, as it gets in the way of the healing process itself. Merely observe the causes and effects with open eyes and an open heart and allow yourself to move forward from where you are. Pay particular attention to issues that require forgiveness. Without forgiveness, it’s pretty much impossible to fully heal from any traumatic event. Something to keep in mind.

A few days ago, the autumnal equinox pass for those of us in the northern hemisphere. Metaphorically speaking, it’s a great time for assessing the year so far, effecting further change and preparing to receive the fruits of your labours.

Love and light on your journey.