Reading request

[Rook]

Hello

I am looking for insights into my life's journey.  I feel like there is a barrier that I need to break through in order to progress, but I don't have insight into what that is or what steps to take from here.

Thanks,
Rook

[eye_of_tiger]

What a great pleasure and privilege it is for me to be given this golden opportunity to read for someone who has himself always given so much of his time and energies to our valued members. Your dream interpretation skills are renowned and admired by readers and non readers alike on Mystic Board. I certainly know who to go to when I need assistance in helping people to learn to better listen to what their unconscious minds are saying to them and it is with good reason that interpreting dreams is often referred to as the royal road to the unconscious. And I have not forgotten that it was pointed out to me on another site than this one (which no longer exists) by a professional Tarot reader several years ago, that there is a very close similarity between the dream interpretation and reading processes. Indeed before I started giving readings I did dream interpretations on a regular basis, and still like to every now and then refresh my own skills in this area, although my efforts often lack the depth which yours consistently display. I sincerely hope that my compliments have not unintentionally embarrassed you as I feel that you do not want to be looked up to by the members as being anything special and you do not like being the centre of attention, preferring instead to work quietly and tirelessly in the background, on behalf of those who come to you for help. But I feel that credit and recognition of your service to all of us as well as to this site is both well deserved and long overdue, and I saw an opportunity to give you that credit and recognition, which I simply could not resist taking. Sorry!  

I feel like there is a barrier that I need to break through in order to progress, but I don't have insight into what that is or what steps to take from here.

The biggest and strongest barriers to us continuing to make forward progress on our journey are mainly to be found coming within ourselves.

Basically most human beings are control freaks. As a species we like to feel in complete control at all times over factors which have always been and will continue well into the future to be outside of our control to change, whether or not we like it. We usually do not like it! Not having control over everything only makes us feel increasingly insecure insecure and anxious, and we often respond to our frustrations by stubbornly resisting the prompts to move forwards again, until we are given a rock solid 100% guarantee that things will always go our way from then on.

Of course there is no such thing as a 100% guarantee of anything in this life, so the end result is that we frequently feel blocked and paralysed by a barrier which we unknowingly created in our subconscious mind by expecting that 100% guarantee will be given.

Applying this strong need for us to always be in control over everything which happens to us to your question, the biggest barrier which your reading is picking up on is your belief that such a barrier exists, and that you need to break through it in order to get to the other side. How can we break through a barrier that only exists in our own (subconscious) minds? How can we reduce and progressively eliminate our common human weakness to always want to always have exact insights concerning what is happening next, and insights into what steps we should be taking from here?

And why again do we so urgently look for exact explanations with reference to what is going to happen to us in the near future (and why), and be given a detailed road map and set of instructions for every step of our journey still to be walked? Because our subconscious mind mainly operates out of a fear of the unknown and consequently views the absence of a 100% guarantee as a threat to our continued survival (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual). While your reading understands that we cannot only live for the present moment and that we do need to make plans for the future this lock step over cautious approach can easily and take all the joy and spontaneity out of our life.

If we all knew exactly all the things we would have to learn to eventually be able to get to high school or college when we were first starting out at infant school, how many of us given the choice would continue our education? In a similar manner if we all knew in great detail beforehand the nature and sequence of events from our birth to our death, how many souls would be brave enough to stay here on Earth, and go the distance? Especially as our future lessons are largely determined and changed by how well or otherwise we dealt with our past lessons.

There is a lot to be said for having some insight into a situation, and having a plan and a set of instructions when first starting out on our journey, but surely without novelty and surprise and discovery of something which is new to us almost every day of our lives, where is the fun for us among all this boredom and complete predictability? We should make our plans to some degree, but at the same time not always use them to replace our dreams, and by so doing lose our sense of awe and mystery about how life often has plans for us which are much better than anything which we could come up with.

In summary, continue to look for insights into what is going on in your life and why, and think about what steps you would need to get from where you are now to where you want to be going. Then break those steps into even smaller ones which are both reasonably achievable and measurable, so that you will not give up prematurely and you can also more accurately assess what progress you have made in the direction of your chosen goals.

But do not remain motionless until given an absolute water tight guarantee of there never again being a bad day for you, and do not become so obsessed about having insights and instructions that you would lose all sense of realistic perspective about what is really important in your life, and lose your sense of surprise and the simple joy of living one's life spontaneously without always having to have your future course mapped out for you in excruciating detail.

In other words, you (and the rest of the human race) need to find the most workable and sustainable point of balance for you between feeling that you have some degree of control and predictability over what happens to you, without wanting a guarantee of complete predictability and control over every single factor which might potentially affect your progress (those factors which are both known and still unknown), all of the time.

Respectfully yours from a fellow traveller,

EoT  

[Rook]

Thanks EoT.  Very insightful as usual.

Firstly your wonderful compliments regarding my dream readings.  It is important to feel special, but at the same time everyone is special in their own unique way.  It is as if we need the world to confirm that specialness for us constantly, which doesn't often happen, which I think creates a lot of problems for a lot of people.  Once you are comfortable with your own specialness within yourself, that need for external confirmation diminishes, and we actually begin to love ourselves for who we are, flaws and all (because that is a part of what makes us special).

As for the reading, and the blockage being all in my head, very interesting.  The need to let go of control and enjoy what I have is relevant - while at the same time having a plan (the breaking of the overall goals into smaller goals is also very relevant - I have been trying to climb a whole mountain rather than just one cliff face) and taking action to achieve it (as my soccer coach used to say, not waiting for the ball to come to me - seems I may have been doing this all my life) is quite relevant in where I am in what I want to achieve in this life.

In terms of the watertight garuntee that I will never have a bad day - I have come to realise it is these days that forge us as a person.  It isn't pleasant but it is important, it is through these trials we grow.  I don't hate bad days anymore.  I just get through them as best I can and look to the good days ahead.  But I need to take the time to absorb those good vibes on those days - I don't always do that either, too concerned about what is over the next horizon.

Thanks EoT

[eye_of_tiger]

Thanks EoT.  Very insightful as usual.

Firstly your wonderful compliments regarding my dream readings.  It is important to feel special, but at the same time everyone is special in their own unique way.  It is as if we need the world to confirm that specialness for us constantly, which doesn't often happen, which I think creates a lot of problems for a lot of people.  Once you are comfortable with your own specialness within yourself, that need for external confirmation diminishes, and we actually begin to love ourselves for who we are, flaws and all (because that is a part of what makes us special).

As for the reading, and the blockage being all in my head, very interesting.  The need to let go of control and enjoy what I have is relevant - while at the same time having a plan (the breaking of the overall goals into smaller goals is also very relevant - I have been trying to climb a whole mountain rather than just one cliff face) and taking action to achieve it (as my soccer coach used to say, not waiting for the ball to come to me - seems I may have been doing this all my life) is quite relevant in where I am in what I want to achieve in this life.

In terms of the watertight garuntee that I will never have a bad day - I have come to realise it is these days that forge us as a person.  It isn't pleasant but it is important, it is through these trials we grow.  I don't hate bad days anymore.  I just get through them as best I can and look to the good days ahead.  But I need to take the time to absorb those good vibes on those days - I don't always do that either, too concerned about what is over the next horizon.

Thanks EoT

Rook,

Thanking you in return for your honest and balanced feedback.

It appears that your soccer coach and I are on a similar wavelength when it comes to emphasizing the need for each of us not to get too far ahead of ourselves for our own good.

Waiting for the soccer ball to come to you might be a good visual metaphor which is intended to encourage us to be more patient and spontaneous and flexible in our approach to life's challenges, but in a soccer game passively waiting for the soccer ball to reach you could have serious or fatal consequences if your team mates do not also do their job, and get the ball to you in the first place.

Perhaps your coach was also highlighting the time tested superiority of a united team effort when compared to someone who plays only for himself, ignoring and rejecting the help of others outside him who could make a valuable contribution to the overall result.

Although I am not a sporting person myself I feel that your soccer coach is a genius in the area of human psychology, using a deceptively simple philosophy which many self help authors should take more notice of if they really want to help their loyal readers.

I keep some of the more positive and appreciative responses from our members in a text archive, so that on those days when I am sorely tempted to give up doing this work, I can refer back to my better or best days responses, which definitely helps me to keep moving forwards with an extra spring in my step.

I am embarrassed to admit that I have not yet reached the point where I no longer require a least some external confirmation and validation on a fairly regular basis from outside myself. I seriously doubt that I ever will attain this lofty goal during this current lifetime.

You are very welcome for the reading.

Salutations!

EoT