THE TURNING POINT
"In each life, a Turning Point arrives when we are given a glimpse of the virtue imparted by Heaven. When we are granted the opportunity either to cultivate our deep Inner Nature or continue following habitual patterns on the path to worldly gain & spiritual ruin".
- Lonny Jarrett
It was the Spring of 2017, I was sitting in a drab reception area of an acupuncturist office. It’s still conjecture if my perception of the atmosphere was a reflection of my very questionable mental health at the time or if I was simply being an over critical patron. I was restless, weary, in pain & unfulfilled, this office was the last stop in an attempt to find any semblance of happiness in what I considered, a mediocre life. I did, after all, have a three year old daughter to go on living for.
From the outside, looking in I was a very successful woman in my life of false belonging. I had mastered the ability to chase the horizon, run from my past hurts & avoid the present, keeping eyes only on the future. Qualities which up to this point, perpetuated the transactional nature of my capitalist driven life story. I had checked all the boxes on the “To Do list for Life”, I had accumulated all the “worldly gains” & yet my life felt completely void of meaning & purpose. As I sat in the unremarkable waiting room chair & stared out the window, the irony of the location of this holistic healing center was not lost on me. Located on busy Fairmont Avenue, the office sat in the shadows of the looming Eastern State Penitentiary. Once the most famous & expensive prison in the world, it now stood in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cell blocks & empty guard towers.
I very clearly remember thinking about the wounded & lonely Souls that must have roamed the grounds of the iconic building, forever trapped in a maze of their own tortuous past. I also remember feeling completely overwhelmed in a moment of realization for my analogous circumstances. I too was a prisoner, a victim of some unfortunate life circumstances, but what I also realized was I still had the privilege to choose. I no longer had to be complicit in the creation of this self imposed prison.
It was two months since I had been unfairly dismissed from my dream job, a job that required me to be a leader in a profession that was traditionally a “good ‘ol boys club”. I had developed an uncanny ability to make people around me feel intimidated simply by my presence, it was a power play, I didn't know how to soften into life outside of work. In this way, the secretary made several unsuccessful attempts to alleviate the awkward silence that was filling the dreary office. As she continued to share random facts about the Penitentiary, I had decided to ask for silence, but as I turned to face her she suddenly blurted out “the prison’s doctrine was one of reform, rather than punishment, they didn’t want to punish but instead guide inmates on a journey of spiritual reflection & change, ultimately it didn’t work - but I like the idea of trying to see the good in people”.
This unsuspecting secretary, paved the way for my “Turning Point”. In that moment I committed to a journey (that continues today) to ensure my external world aligns with my internal world. It was that moment I knew I was in the right place, it was the moment I decided I wanted to be fully alive.
Life is waiting.
After my acupuncture treatment, I was overwhelmed by the feeling of hope & perspective. I now fully understood life is simply about reform & change. A constant cycle of the death of the old parts of ourselves in order to grow & evolve, so we can open up space for the rebirth of something new & deeply connect with something bigger than us all. Most importantly, life should unfold on our own terms.
These kinds of realizations can sometimes make life feel hard, sometimes messy, sometimes scary - that's how change feels - but if you are willing, life beyond your “Turning Point” becomes a beautiful exploration of yourself. Life is now guided by meaning & purpose, it makes even the darkest days seem brighter.
A few short months after this experience, I began training as a Five Element acupuncturist first in Philadelphia & later as an apprentice with master acupuncturist, Gerad Kite. Regular Five Element acupuncture treatments will surely improve your physical symptoms, dis-comfort & dis-ease, but the freedom, strength & Love that becomes accessible from living authentically, is real life magic. Life doesn’t need to be perfect to be impeccable, it simply needs to be authentic. As a Death Doula & licensed Five Element Acupuncturist my goal is specifically to support you, encourage you & celebrate your authenticity. What are you waiting for? Life is calling. Book online: LauraJane.ie/bookings