Dare to Face the Empty Place

By Mandy Evans

"It's like you're swinging through the jungle," she said. "You swing along from vine to vine and then you can't reach the next one." You have to swing out farther than you ever have and let go or just hang on, swinging back and forth, back and forth until you're exhausted.

One of the exquisite benefits of my work is sharing people's beliefs, hopes, dreams, wisdom and insight in such profoundly intimate ways. The quote above came from someone in a private session.

No, this is not a sales pitch for my individual coaching services. Almost the opposite, in fact. For the time being, I will not be taking on new coaching students.

I have only 2 seminars scheduled in 2007(BREAKOUT half day in Carlsbad, CA next month and the powerful BREAKOUT weekend in Palm Springs, CA in October) plus one exciting speaking engagement in January '08, to be announced.

I'm letting go of the vine. I can't even see the next one. I am going to face the empty place.

When a relationship ends, a loved one dies, a job is lost, a game plan heads south, a dream turn to dust -- it's easy to grab on to something, anything, to avoid facing the empty place.

If a fine new vine presents itself, hooray! Grab on and keep swinging through this beautiful jungle called life.

But what about when you can't see a new opportunity yet? Or you reach for a new vine and miss?

Like a student in a workshop who told us that she had expended vast amounts of energy and money in endeavors that were doomed to fail, over and over again.

She said she just became aware that she believed she could not endure living without a game plan. So she never assessed her chances for success. She never even thought about it. For her any game plan, even one that had no chance had seemed better than none at all.

Who, for example, has not watched with concern as a loved one clutches at the slimmest hope of a relationship to avoid being alone? Have you done that too? I sure have.

How many of us have faced the prospect of a job ending before another materializes with fear and dread?

All you see, all you feel is the empty place.

The sages, through the ages tell us to be still and wait.

Everything else (the media, our friends, the popular values in society) tells us that we are in big trouble!

You know that saying that nature abhors a vacuum? Well I?m going to face the empty space and see what nature has to offer.

It's been a week and already I can feel a new sense of freedom, space and possibility -- a sweet free-floating sensation.

If you are between vines, I'd love to hear from you. We can be still and wait together, though sometimes it only takes a few minutes!

As we wait, we can focus on what we know we welcome, what we would like to attract to us or move toward. For me it is:

* Opportunities beyond my wildest imaginings to love, and be useful in ways that in utilize my skills, talents and insights well.

* I want to have a lot of fun and be very happy.

* I would like to connect with amazing people who also want a world filled with love, joy, generosity of spirit and abundance for all.

Wishing you great happiness, success and wonderful new opportunities to fill your empty places.