Navigating the Darkness: Trusting in the Dawn to Come

You know the phrase that it's always darkest before the dawn?

That moment when you are holding your breath, lungs bursting with need, blinking tears back behind your eyes at the weight of all the f*cking things seeming to conspire and spiral all at once. Everything is ragged. Bedraggled. The fullness of emptiness suffocates.

And then…

The smallest of shifts.

Imperceptible to the eye, but known in the soul.

A gentle spark that glimmers.

A glow that grows as each breath becomes more easeful.

Desperately wanting to gulp it in.

Instead letting it fill you slowly.

Careful to not break the spell.

Relief washing over you.

The pressure easing.

Full deep breaths coming, refilling, opening.

A complete transformation as light spreads warming love across the landscape.

And into our hearts.

Reminding us to never let go of hope.

To trust in the natural cycle of things.

And believe in the power of one little spark in the darkest of moments.

Deep breath and truly feel the glow flowing and growing inside of you.

It has been a time of increasing darkness. Quite literally in the cycle of nature, and horrifically in the evolution of society. So to explain the latter, I find hope and inspiration in the former. How it's like you have to use up seemingly every shred of reserve it seems before there's a breakthrough. That moment where it’s darkest before the dawn. When you're truly at that last bit of it all, and then at that last eeking sliver of darkness, dawn is breaking.

I feel like this time of the year is similar in that way, because we're at the edge of winter, spring is on the horizon. We can know it's coming, we maybe have even had glimpses of it, taste of it. And then it's back to winter again, feeling like a crushing blow to your remaining reserves. That can really bring up that sense of scarcity and fear for our personal mental and emotional survival. Especially when there's so much on the news that is reinforcing that message right now.

Hope in Liminal Moments

So how can we find some hope in this liminal moment, and really draw our reserves, and stretch them and maybe draw in something new? To help us get to that astronomical dawn, to that point where everything shifts when light is first entering the sky. The edge of spring is the hardest time for wildlife because they have depleted their reserves. All that preparation they have done, that served them well, is running out. Yet they draw deep and focus on the future, believing in that hope to start their family cycle and bring new life into the world.  

If you're feeling like you're at your breaking point, and you're not sure how there could ever be that moment of dawn that comes from this, this is exactly why you need to anchor into that belief of hope. To face the fears of survival and tap in to the trust of the natural cycle of things. Believing in that deep, instinctual knowing that spring is coming, the sun is rising, love will prevail. The laws of the universe will kick in, and that we can trust them.

Maybe believing doesn’t make an actual difference. But it’s in my nature to believe that it does. And that every person’s glimmer of glowing hope comes together to share that light with others. And inspires their glow to grow. Dare to be brave enough to show your last glimmer. Because there is an intrinsic sense of safety in numbers, in community. We can each tap into the shred of belief that and bring them together to inspire the power of love in action.

Know Your Fears

Wandering and stumbling, looking over your shoulder at every sound in the night, yelping and panicking at every brush across your legs. Feeling the panic of the unseen, the overwhelming unknown. Navigating the darkness is so much easier when we are exploring with hope and curiosity. When we know what fears speak strongest in us, we can use that to shine even our last glimmer of light into and make it seem not so scary.

Giving name to our instinctual fears and the guidance they can give us empowers us through this darkness, to keep our senses aware for where that next glimmer is going to pop up and chase after it with hope. Like fireflies in the night.

Using the insights of Human Design, we can give ourselves a map of the darkness and learn how to navigate it according to our unique, specific design, through the lens of our lived experience. We can reveal strengths we didn't know we had and use it as a beacon of light to navigate the dark. Reframing stories we tell ourselves and tuning those fears into a higher expression. One that teaches us, nudges us to be the next version of ourselves.

If you are losing hope and succumbing to the fear, living in a lower expression of yourself, KNOW there is a high expression within you and it just needs a little nurturing and attention, a perspective change. It doesn't have to be a big shift in doing, but a shift in belief. Let's inspire some possibility and excitement in anticipation for the dawn that is ahead. Instead of living in fear, thinking that you're not going to make it, let’s anchor into that point of hope and anticipation. Use it to tap into hope and notice how your whole outlook changes, one glimmer at a time. There's possibility. There's hope. And the world needs a whole lot of that right now. So let's be brave and take a closer look at our fears. Where it's holding us back and start to renew our sense of hope and share that light with others.

We have reached the sunrise, holding out hope for the dawn to come.

Take the first step in shining light into the dark and download the free Human Design inspired (created by a Human Design Projector) mindful movement meditation. Use it as a deep dive into naming our fears and using them to navigate our way when life feels heavy and dark and live a life that lights us up. Includes free mp3 download with guided walking meditations and printable journal prompts.

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Stephanie Rose is a mom, wife, business owner and a forever student in finding ways to know herself better. She acts as guide for your own journey, sharing insights, tools and practices to help you remember your magic and live a life that lights you up. Sign up for her newsletter and check out her free resources.

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