Sometimes we are awful listeners. Or just stubborn. Or perhaps just scared.

We are patterned beings, and at times we get stuck. We get comfortable and may not even realize that we’re stuck. Signs may appear that we’re not in our best place, and our joyful self may be hiding out, afraid to claim what we deserve, know we need or yearn to manifest.

I’ve been struggling with worthiness, receiving… and some elements of healing some old crud in my life. Earlier this year, I continued with my work, grew excited about my new paths of employment, yet noticed some of my “old,” familiar patterns of certain fears and overwork creeping in again. But I said and believed I was fine. Friends expressed their concern, and I knew I needed some changes, but I honestly didn’t know how or what exactly to do for what probably needed to shift.

And then the Universe, trying to get my attention with my ignoring certain signs and inner knowing, threw me a concussion. First one ever in my life. It was scary, I’ll admit, and pain and all kinds of unpleasant symptoms ensued. I slowed down and listened. Just to be sure, it seems, two more difficult physical challenge cycles appeared within the month that followed my concussion recovery. While difficult experiencing this sequence of three physical vulnerabilities within about six weeks, I can assure you they’re all gifts and sources of opportunity—and reinvention. My immediate needs were slowing my pace and asking for help, two actions that often have triggered struggle and avoidance in me.

Numerology, a tool I use with all of my Turtle Healing Energy services, uses our birthdate to determine significant numbers and meanings that can help us know our true mission in our life and also know our cycles of experiences and lessons. Running in cycles of nine years, we end and begin lessons and phases in our lives, and knowing and understanding these cycles can offer insights and tools we may not otherwise consider. The gift of the end of a nine-year cycle, a major loss in our lives, a health challenge and other times that offer the choice of “shift or suffer” is reinvention. When we’re in a painful place and can choose whether to succumb to and remain on an unhealthy path or risk for the hope of a more joyful outcome, what a wonderful time to reinvent ourselves and make the changes that will allow us to live more joyfully, freely and healthily this lifetime.

When the “big stuff is shakin’ down,” and those signals to change are screaming, ask yourself
1. Where is my biggest pain right now?
2. What is this pain urging me to do on physical, emotional and spiritual levels?
3. What do I need to do to heal, choose joy and get on a different, healthier path?

While it sometimes hurts (literally) getting there and understanding what we need to do to have different results and choose joy, reinvention cycles are such blessings! Through my reiki sessions, intuitive card readings and soon-to-be-officially-offered grief intuitive coaching, I am honored to help others see how even the most heart-wrenching circumstances are really just pushing us to get back on path and keep going. Even death, one of the toughest journeys we experience when loved ones leave this planet, is a plea for reinvention.

As Sue Frederick—author (I See Your Dream Job, I See Your Soul Mate, Bridges to Heaven, among other books), speaker, intuitive and beautiful soul—reminds us often, “Let your pain be your fuel.” For most of us, if things are comfortable, why would we have reason to shift? Our pain in whatever shape(s) it may take, pushes us to do something differently because most of us don’t like to be in pain—or at least for too long. Sometimes the Universe offers us a beautiful (we may not use “beautiful” while in the painful experience, mind you) gesture, which we can choose to use as reinvention, otherwise known as big shifts, changes in our path, and what I like to call opportunities to choose joy.

I’m still proudly human (read imperfect), and I get reminders when I need to majorly change a pattern, so I have my own supportive network of lovelies (both on earth and in spiritual realms) that push me to shift, remind me of my true path and love me no matter what. We need to surround ourselves with supportive beings who see us for who we are and support our abundant, joyful path, especially when we doubt or forget.

***I thank my teachers and friends Deborah Wilson (Angels And Prosperity) and Sue Frederick for inspiring me to think differently, choose reinvention and influence the approaches explained in this post.

© Erika M. Schreck and Turtle Healing Energy, 2013. All rights reserved.