The Spiral Upward

The Spiral Upward By: Consuela Allen

At full blaze, fire will do one or two things: purify or destroy. Fire can poetically symbolize a hellish existence full of suffering and misery. It can also symbolize the passionate enthusiasm that comes from being inspired. The last two years or so have shown us the two faces of fire. Some of us have prayed or thought to ourselves, “When will I finally be able to escape this burning fire?” Others of us may have asked, “Will my fire ever be restored?” Sometimes the Universe conspires and brings us to an expressway that doesn’t always feel good. As Dr. Michael Beckwith says, “We are pushed by pain until we are pulled by vision.”

The pain that pushes is the motivation. With pain, our motive is usually to work on changing the effect. There is nothing wrong with this approach, so one should not feel guilty for facing tough times as they arise. Commend yourself for possessing the ability to respond to circumstances as a mature adult. Yet, because pain serves as such an effective alarm clock, it forces us to focus in a direction that is always the right direction: within. The vision that pulls is the inspiration. With vision, our passion helps us to focus on the cause. Focusing on the reason brings us to the voice within. Our default response is no longer running away from the pain but running towards our purpose. I can share from personal experience that this is a really good feeling.

When you’re in a creative flow state, you feel unstoppable, and the inspiration seems to only increase from there. Inspiration is like a flight of winding stairs that we use to ascend into the upper room of our Higher Self. Inspiration is being locked into your divine nature - it’s “in spirit.” As the black preachers in the country would say, “I feel my Help coming.”

So how do you get inspired? Most would say that you have to find your reasons and remind yourself of your “why.” While I agree that these tools are helpful for getting yourself started, I would think that this is mainly helpful for self-motivation. A myriad of things can motivate us or give us a reason to move, such as fear, bills, pride, etc. Inspiration is on a higher level. When you are in that creative flow of Spirit, the passionate fire of purpose takes over.

Consider Ms. Judy Jackson, a senior citizen out of Stockbridge, GA. When Ms. Judy was 63 years of age, she suffered a stroke which left her right side severely disabled. She struggled just to sit upon the edge of the bed. The nurse’s aides had to assist her with bathing, changing clothes, and eating. Within six weeks, she was able to walk about 100 feet with the assistance of a one-handed walker. Ms. Judy has participated in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy alongside her peers. Some of her peers moved faster than her, while others moved much slower. Yet, Ms. Judy kept fighting and trying even after certain medical specialists told her that she had gone as far as she could in her recovery. She continued to seek out other specialists, all while keeping faith in The Most High.

She is now 68 years of age and cannot sit down. She has returned to driving and cooking. While she is still recovering in certain areas, she has regained control of about 85% of her right side. How did Ms. Judy accomplish this? What led to her toughminded optimism? Ms. Judy owns a personal care home in Rex, GA. She has been a home health aide for decades but started her own home in 2001 to deliver heartfelt care that’s much warmer than the clinical agencies for which she had worked in the past. It takes an exceptional and inspired person to want to get better just to take care of other people. Ms. Judy was pulled by her vision. She was reminded of her purpose in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, which filled her with passion and enthusiasm. Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.