When Tension Sharpens

I took time to hang out in my spiritual space where nothing was due, nothing broke when I decided to pause or penalized me for being tired. That sense of safety was real — and it mattered.

It mattered because sometimes reality feels unyielding. Bills arrive whether I’m ready or not. My body requires care regardless of my feelings or schedule. Time keeps moving and days become weeks - with the same outcomes, emotions and responsibilities - that’s why the spiritual matters.

At some point, if we’re not careful, the spiritual becomes less of a place you visit and more of a place you hide. Not deliberately. Not dramatically. Quietly. You linger there because life asks for things you don’t feel resourced to give. And the longer you stay inward, the more foreign the outer world starts to feel.

Not hostile — just heavy like the weight of responsibility that stack on your shoulders like invisible sand bags, each one piling on top of the other while your soul and spirit scream for balance and freedom.

That’s when you notice the tension. Not between belief systems. Between safety and responsibility. Between sobbing and hopeful laughter, rest and overwork.

One side is the spiritual. The other side is reality. The tension begins when the spiritual becomes the place that feels livable when reality doesn’t stop asking and then demanding for attention. The spiritual gives peace to the mayhem and unforeseen resources so that you can conquer the grind and the daily challenges of reality and come out with a win.

The tension is the space in between. It’s where you find the grace to walk in peace and the strength in knowing you have access to a power that is greater than you or your challenges.

Reality is great at throwing curve balls at us on a regular basis (more often than not ) but that doesn’t mean you duck and hide. It means you stand in spiritual power. Next time life pitches mayhem at you - grab that spiritual bat and hit that baby over the fence. Okay, maybe it’s a grounder past third base, but at least you recognized the play, swung, and connected!

Tension is the realization that you can stretch without breaking. When both sides are being stretched, pay attention, stand in your power, grab a bat……and swing!