One of my interests is archaeology. I find it fascinating to read about the discovery of the material culture from the past. Of course, most archaeological finds are small nuggets of a past that require us to then put the pieces together. It is hard work, sifting and discovering and then trying to rebuild what was. It always looked so cool, at least from a distance. Truth is, while I enjoy consuming the reports about the finds, I really don’t like the idea of digging in the physical dirt.
Nevertheless, as I shared the other day when describing my spiritual coaching practice, I see myself as an archaeologist of the soul. I work with others to sift through the dirt that is covering the shards and whole pieces of the person they are trying to bring to the fore. By listening and reflecting and listening some more, we are able to see the beauty that is sometimes hidden very deep within the person. The challenge for people is not giving up before they get to finding the gem that is them.
To illustrate the struggle that comes with digging deeper and deeper until we find the treasure of our soul, I was fortunate to come across the following thought and analogy:
Rabbi Shimshon David Pinkus writes as follows (Shearim B’Tefillah – Pg 43).
It is very common that a person, in their bitterness and despondency, cannot open their mouth in prayer. Sometimes this is due to the overwhelming sorrow and brokenness of his heart, and yet at other times, it is because they feel distant from the Creator and unworthy of approaching Him. In all of these states, one ceases to pray.
But ponder upon the following analogy: it is like someone searching for a treasure of sapphires, digging into the earth here and there in the quest for the treasure. Suddenly, they reach a place where the earth is so hard that he cannot penetrate it in any way. They try and try, but are unsuccessful. What do they do? They go to search and dig elsewhere…
But how foolish can one be!
They have reached the very sapphire, this is the very reason that it was so difficult to dig into. One would do well not to move from there until they know and find a way to bring the rare treasure home.
Similarly, when one experiences brokenness of the heart, and feel unable to open their mouth in prayer due to immense sorrow and spiritual distance from G-d, behold, the very desired treasure is before you, the sapphire of true prayer – the most beautiful prayer is a genuine cry. Cry to the L-rd from the depth of your heart…
HaMeir LaAretz, Pathways of the Soul, Parshat Bo 5784, p. 10
Whether it is our struggles to imbue prayer with meaning or uncovering the hidden gems of who we are, when we stop trying, we inevitably miss the opportunities to see “success.” I find time and time again that the lack of instant results causes most of us to give up and veer off the road we have been working so hard to pave.
Today, and everyday, it is of the utmost importance to push ahead, to dig a little deeper because we never know when the results will come, which we hope they will. True success comes from a combination of hard work, perseverance and good fortune along the way, And as we have been reflecting on in a couple of previous posts (here and here), we cannot just wait for the good fortune, we must take action all along the way.
Looking for help in uncovering the hidden gems inside of you and discover the person who are trying to be? If you or someone you know is looking to forge ahead and set new goals or trying to find a sense of meaning in life, we are here to help foster spiritual and emotional growth and change. Schedule your appointment today here. For more information, please contact New Beginnings Spiritual Coaching and Consulting LLC at 732-314-6758 ext. 100 or via email at newbeginningsspiritualcoach@gmail.com
New beginnings: A blog about spirituality, chaplaincy and renewal 
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