Have you ever stopped and looked at an onion and reflected on all of its layers that surround its inner core? Have you ever thought that we are like onions, with our own layers surrounding our inner being? To me, the onion is an example of what our journey in life is all about, as we experience all the ups & downs, joys & pains, happiness & sadness, love & hate, peace & anger that life throws at us on a daily basis. The onion will roll along the path of life as it encounters one thing after another. As it does, it will lose one layer at a time.
Isn’t that the same for us? As we go through our days of living and experiencing, we encounter many obstacles in front of us. We continue to move forward on our life path, where some portions of our road are bumpy and sharp while other portions are smooth and easy. Along these rough patches, we sometimes get hurt and get down on ourselves. The pain awakens us to new depths of hurt but eventually the unpleasant feelings wane and we heal a bit to continue on. Before long, another layer is peeled away. Did we notice it? Did we feel different? Did we change our direction? Did we care?
I was talking to my daughter one day, about how life tends to throw us challenges, one after another. Sometimes everything happens in one day or one week, but it can be persistent. It weakens our resolve to be strong and sometimes we question if we can go on like this. Just when we reach that point of throwing in the towel, the storm lifts and the sun breaks through the thick clouds. We see a glimmer of hope and wonder if life isn’t so bad after all. Another layer is peeled off and we adjust to our new situation. We take another step down the road of life again and move forward. Did we feel the change in us?
We get so caught up in our day to day worries and stresses that we don’t notice the changes that are gradually taking place to our being. We continue to deal with things on a daily basis and go forward. When an obstacle or setback comes our way, we try to deal with it and again go through our personal coping methods. Then another stress, pain, or emotional distress occurs and another layer is peeled away. After millions of these encounters, we think, “Why is life so hard? Why is it always me that gets hurt? Why doesn’t it happen to other people? Why me?” You feel that life isn’t fair to you. But you find ways to cope and express your frustrations or pains.
Did you notice that your skills at expressing your inner turmoil are manifesting into something unique and beautiful like a drawing, a poem, an artistic creation, a story, a life decision to go in another direction, a need to help others, an action like volunteering or an “aha” moment? Lately life has been hard with many encounters of disappointment, the possibility of losing something dear to me, a change in my situation, a need to let go of negative situations, & the hurt by others, has led to my brain and inner essence being numbed and overloaded.
In an effort to focus on something productive and to stay connected, instead of wallowing in my self-pity, I’ve turned to writing. This channeling of inner thoughts and energy has been very good for me. It is like a pressure cooker filling up with pressure inside while the heat is high and then, just when it reaches a tipping point, the pressure valve releases a lot of that built-up pressure and then there is balance again. I am like that pressure cooker.
I find that as these situations arise, another of my layers is peeled away. In retrospect, I can now appreciate the removal of all these layers around my inner being, as a blessing. With this shedding of so many layers, I have been able to tap in on my inner essence and express what I know in order to help myself and others.
Connecting to your inner source is essential for a healthy and happy life. It is vital to finding meaning and a purpose in life. Your inner essence is the beauty of love, balance, & peace and it will fulfill you with serene joy and contentment. Money, material possessions, fame, and power are false things that will never make you complete. Chasing these things will only give you temporary happiness and fulfillment. There will always be a deep emptiness inside.
So we are all like onions in our life’s path. Some will lose layers quickly and find meaning, while others will hold on to their layers and never know what true life is. Everyone is allowed to make their own decisions without judgment or shame. It is really a matter of choice and needs. I hope yours will bring you much happiness.
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