Meeting Difficult Times

9th January 2024 Written by Dvonne Loring

I sat by the Werribee River this morning 

What was only supposed to be a glance at the beautiful view turned into an hour plus long invitation of contemplation and holding

I have been feeling vulnerable recently to the idea that I’m not where I’m meant to be

That I’ve fallen deeply behind 

I feel further away from what’s important to me than I ever have

Though arbitrary, I feel the panic these thoughts can induce 

I’ve been feeling lost

What once brought me a sense of rich meaning is feeling dull and empty

Grief fills my heart at this juxtaposition

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Sometimes initiating a mindset shift is what’s needed in these moments

Other times a somatic practice can help soothe this tension

And sometimes just being held in the moment

Not making it right or wrong

But simply acknowledging that you are having a real human moment is needed to validate the discomfort you’re in

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When we’re in a dark place

Sometimes we wish life could fit into clean categories and boxes

For it to be straight forward and linear 

Because navigating the nuance and complexity can become tiresome

And suddenly black and white thinking feels seductive

It offers a certainty that can feel calming

There’s nothing wrong with that

For me however

I have spent my life in the gray area

It’s how I’ve come to understand this confusing and awe inspiring world

And it’s within the subtly and the layered textures that my meaning is found

When I’m struggling

When I’m in the thick of a hard time

I can forget this

I can forget the beauty found in simplicity

An emptiness can fill spaces that once held sacred value

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I went from having one of the most empowering, liberating and expansive years of my life in 2022

To then having one of the most challenging years of my adult life in 2023

To say this was disturbing and dizzying would be a gross understatement

This blog piece isn’t to give you a two step method to overcome hard times

In fact, none of my work is

What is central to my work is acknowledging the often unspoken

The parts that get filtered out

To bring light and speak to the times that blindside you and you’re left thinking “how the fuck did I end up here?”

Even admitting we’re having a hard time can be taboo

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My goodness life has a way of humbling you

Right when you think you have it worked out

Something may arrive that can rock the very foundations you thought were unshakable

It’s these experiences that often offer the greatest lessons and learning

But these are also the experiences that get left out of the reel dumps

These are the ones that feel like they break you

Let’s bring visibility to the struggle that is inherently human

A be it an offering that we aren’t alone

Because often what makes these hard times double down and feel even harder is when we feel like we are

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To those who are yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel

I’m here with you

May the answers we seek gracefully find us

Xx