Here comes the sun: A Guiding Light for Our Inner Labyrinth

Spring is knocking at the door. However, storms and the cold wind keep returning, the coldness overwhelms, and our world seems to be hanging by a thread. Everything feels unpredictable, both the world and our own private worlds seem to be very fragile. It’s especially cold in the attic of this little wooden house.

As the weather gets warmer, we are reminded that our planet is boiling. The differences between the seasons slowly vanish. No wonder, we feel confused, when one day it’s sunny and warm, the next morning snowy and ice cold. In the restless

rat-race of today it is challenging to switch off and focus on ourselves. We are bombarded with tragic news day by day: war, aviation, natural disasters, and the list goes on, and on, and on. How can we stay healthy in a world that is getting sick?

Are we in the rat-race in order to shift our focus and distract us from all the noise around us? Can we really stay in “flow” in our lives, focused on our work?

“The purpose of the flow is to keep on flowing, not looking for a peak or utopia but staying in the flow. It is not moving up but a continuous flowing; you move up to keep the flow going. There is no possible reason for climbing except the climbing itself; it is a self-communication.” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990)

Csikszentmihalyi strived to find what makes individuals happy and found that in the state of “flow”, in moments and activities which we enjoy the most, we reach this condition. This can be felt when being focused on our work, doing a sport activity that we enjoy, or when using our creativity and creating something. The goal is not to be the best, but to feel truly in tone with what we do.

It’s not easy to stay focused when we are bombarded by notifications left and right, our phones flood us with stimulation that keeps our sense of peace out of reach. Finding balance between remaining informed about the tragic news of the day and holding to sanity and peace is a ceaseless challenge.

No wonder that life tends to be a labyrinth at times. We tend to forget to stay present. However, as we grow and age, we learn more about ourselves and after a while the labyrinth we live in becomes less scary and easier to navigate in. What is the right route for our labyrinth and where is its exit? We find our pure, naked selves, certain in our core values and strengths and able to fulfill the potential we hold within. What can we do in order to find what truly makes our souls shine? There is no recipe that works for all. However, in being open to trying all manner of things and moving in disparate directions, perhaps we may reach a suitable destination.

Let’s make a map to guide us through our maze; first, plot our main steps along our map. Second, identify the fuel that helps us reach these steps – for example; determination, strength, dedication – and finally, afterwards we set goals that make these steps achievable. For example, when we set a goal to run a half marathon: first we write a training plan, then we determine our goal like building strength and set smaller goals -- like training four times a week.

It is essential and also inevitable to get to know ourselves better along the way. In order to form a map that helps guide us through our maze, we should dive deep into ourselves. What is our true identity? Where is our deeper drive, the little child within? Sometimes we have to peel off the pressure of society and focus on our own happiness. It is a lifelong journey, but all the little steps add up. We build the base(ment), then the floors, and finally, we reach the attic.

Consequently, in the darkness of the labyrinth, the light enters. When connecting better to ourselves, we can connect to other humans better as well. The connection can be found in nature, with our cultures and people who surround us. Being surrounded with the right people helps us find our focus. It goes without saying that the people in our lives have a big influence on us. For this reason, we have to be mindful with whom we choose to connect.

However, we have to understand that we are part of a network depending on our origins and family. This is why it is necessary to zoom out of our lives and get a broader picture of the people around us. “We have to set the framework for our lives, but to do that we need to understand where we come from. Only those who know where they have come from and the burdens they carry can see where they can go from here.” (Orvos-Toth, 2018)

The best way to do it is by asking questions- both to ourselves and those closest to us. How well do you know the history of your family? Do you notice repeating words that only your relatives use? Do you find similarities in your actions and way of thinking? These patterns are important to identify, especially if you have the motivation to change some of them. This consciousness enables not only personal growth, but societal growth as it ripples out. In this case, by creating a broader picture of our family, it helps us understand who we truly are. That’s why I encourage you, dear reader, to go to the attic, take your box with old photographs and start asking questions. It is a never-ending process of self-discovery.

As spring arrives, the rays of sunlight gleam upon us and nature awakes, we take our paintbrushes and let our creativity unfold. There is so much magic in us, but to make it visible, we should find our voices. This can be quite a challenge in our crazy world, but we should keep on moving. There is no need to be afraid of making a detour at times. Each stage of life has its own beauty, and our generation has great potential in solving the problems of the 21st century. Let’s go out into the sunlight! But first, let’s remember to take a deep breath and let our inner compass guide us through our personal labyrinth.

Bibliography

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow : the Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper and Row.

Orvos-Toth, N. (2018). Örökölt sors családi sebek és a gyógyulás útjai. Budapest: Kulcslyuk K. Cop.