It seems forever ago that I brought up the idea of an Inflection Point, the place or moment that signifies a turning point or change in direction. But in real time, only a few weeks have elapsed. During that time life has come calling, asking us to look at ourselves both comically and deeply. Fear, sickness, and death have also come calling, reminding us that life is precious and uncertain.

We are bombarded hourly by news posts, tweets, op-eds, and critical reviews of every person, product, and potential. As my friend likes to say, most are found lacking and sent packing. As I see it, we are undersupplied in optimism and oversupplied with cynicism. The field is sticky with flypaper and getting unstuck is not as easy as flipping channels. We read, scroll, and tap our way through the day, and tomorrow we will likely do the same. We do this because we have been conditioned to, and because in the absence of real knowledge, information placebos help to pacify uncertainties.

Even from a young age, my spiritual teachers were hard on me. They urged me to meditate without candles, incense, and pretty music playing in the background. They taught me how to breathe and where to place my awareness. During pointing out instructions, a method of showing initiates what is hiding in plain sight, I learned to rely on inner senses before comparing and confirming my insights with outer experiences. I craved the comfort and approval I knew my teachers could give me, but I also knew that the important lessons they imparted were of greater value. They often spoke of the importance of inner resources; they hinted at challenging times ahead.

To be honest, I failed many “tests” by making lesser choices when better ones were available. I reacted with searing emotion instead of well-reasoned steps. I was sure that my remedial abilities and feeble results would soon be discovered; I would be plucked out and sent packing. Instead, I arrived at a place in my life-journey where an alternative reality that I could count on began to take shape. Soon after, life changed suddenly and significantly. I had arrived at an inflection point. Today I am more aware than ever of the blessings I received, grateful for my not-so-easy lessons and tough-love teachers.

I bring this up because I see that we are more inclined than not to believe that things will go downhill from here, and I simply don’t hold with that. I am reminded of the yellow flag race car drivers must obey when something has gone potentially wrong on the track. We are in a cautionary time, unsure of when the yellow flag will be lifted so life can return to normal. Life is never really normal, but right now it is blatantly not-normal. These are also potentially exciting times where archaic and failing systems may finally yield to bold new opportunities. Perhaps we will acknowledge what cannot be fixed and finally turn in a new direction. In spite of our present uncertainty and discomfort, there is much to look forward to.

For the past several weeks we have been exploring the swift changes our world is experiencing, accelerated by the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Inflection points do not indicate what happens next, only that the change will be substantial. So, where do we go from here? Our individual pattern (soul) will reveal that to us in unique and specific ways. No one has or likely ever will be arranged as uniquely as you are today. Using a simple example, a deck of 52 playing cards can be expressed numerically as an 8 followed by 67 zeros. Given the opportunity, how many different ways can you arrange your future?

With your permission and blessing, I would like to initiate a return to looking for insights and answers within and helping you to do the same. Fast-moving timelines and snail-slow placeholders lie ahead, some more alluring than others. Our attitudes, beliefs, and intentional choices will guide our next steps and the collective future that is still forming. Cultivating an open heart, clear-sight, and night-vision sensitivity is a necessity now, as is developing a steady and reliable trust in all relationships, inner and outer.

Part 1 Here