Navigating the In-Betweens

by Robert Wilkinson

I gather my recent article on The In Betweens struck a chord with many who are moving through it. When we've ended what we needed to end, and opened to a mystery that hasn't shown up yet in a form we recognize, is there anything to do?

Well, life doesn't end just because a chapter in our lives has, or we're not sure what's next. I gave a few ideas about how to view these times that recur in our lives:

The trick is not to get hooked into counterproductive emotional and mental states while we're waiting for the unknown to manifest.

Whether a minute, a day, a month, a year, or a decade, we find ourselves in the in-between place throughout our lives. It's actually a great time to meditate, contemplate, and understand our larger life mythos, if we don't allow fear, impatience, or frustration to jam our mental and emotional gears....

Once we have done our due diligence to the process of moving into the future with intention and clarity around process, then we must wait while staying alert to opportunities to further the movement into the future. Here impatience and frustration with the process of "not knowing" can be very counterproductive.

Remember that much of what this life on Earth is about is being of good will and good humor as we move and groove through the intersections of Fate and Free Will on our journey of eternal learning and evolving. "Not Knowing" is hardwired into the human condition, and is related to the "Great Mystery" of life in forms. When we "don't know," then Isis has entered the classroom.

To answer a question one reader posed, Isis is the Cosmic Gatekeeper, Wisdom Crone of the Ages, the One who sits before the veil and bars entrance before it's the "right time" in our evolution to move into a mystery that will leave us in a new position relative to life, process, "right view," and "right effort." She is also so much more than this, and each discovers this face of Divine Mother in their own way and time, That said, a further elaboration on this Divine Energy Form is beyond the scope or intention of this article, so we'll move on.

Often in life we overlook experiencing what's happening NOW while getting lost in mental and emotional memories or hopes. There are times to say hello, and times to say goodbye. When the new has not yet arrived and we're still letting go of the past, we have a great opportunity to stay fully centered in being aware of our direct experience up to that point in our life, with all the feelings and ideas we've been opened to because of that experience.

When we're in "the in betweens," it can be very helpful to honor old friends, whether plants, animals, or other humans, by feeling the fullness of our experience over the days, months, or years we walked together here on Earth. It helps to see what life has taught us about compassion, opening our hearts and minds to a greater view of the movie of our life and how that which is leaving us impacted us. When it's time to say thanks, feeling gratitude and appreciation for the experience while knowing that phase of our lives is over forever, by doing so we claim the moment.

Many times it's tempting to shut down old memories as soon as possible and move into new activities, ideas, and feelings because the old ones feel too big to handle in each's own peculiar way. Even reconnecting with old friends after many years can feel difficult in its own way, since we've all grown older and so many things have happened in between then and now. And as the years roll on, we don't know if we'll ever see them again, leaving us again "in between."

While I've gone through many tragedies, losses, abrupt endings, and frustrations about what I never accomplished, or didn't quite hit the mark I wanted, I've always known that I had to keep my heart open to experiencing the moment. I learned that by being open to the width and breadth of feeling and experiencing all there was to feel and experience, my "cup of life" was filled to the brim and over time I learned I never had to regret not being there, wherever "there" was.

I believe that if we stay open to the moment, we will never regret missing out on what we needed to be a part of, whether actively or passively. Being in the moment, opening to the fullness of the NOW, means we never have to look back on anything and wonder if we missed out on something.

Being in the NOW, whether saying goodbyes, hellos, or just hanging out in the in-betweens, allows us to experience the fullness of our cup of life. And by not "phoning it it," we find ourselves in our groove moving us from ignorance to awareness, from uncertainty into focused intention, and from fear into a greater ability to love than we've ever known before. And that's a very good thing.

© Copyright 2011 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Ann]

Dear Robert, Grateful thanks to you for expanding on the in-betweens. Your help is much appreciated.

[Ilse]

Thanks again Robert for sharing your wisdom with us....now we are in-between!

[Nicolas]

Great post! Not only the energy from the brain comes across but also the warmth from the heart, that makes it so enlightening and dear.
Glad to have such a fellow companion to meander through the grooves.
Blessing be.

[Jill Loftis]

absolutely what I needed to hear, thank you.