Rumi Reminds Us to Feel our Feelings

It is not "likely" or "probable" that something will happen to take us off course - it is guaranteed. It’s not whether we’ll be triggered into fear, blame, or powerlessness, but when. These feelings are not an indicator that something is wrong with us, that we're less spiritual, or that we're lacking something. It is a sign we are about to discover something or re-align with what it is we truly want.

To transform an emotion into authentic power you must witness to your feelings (don’t be tricked into thinking they are who you really are), but you have to feel them too. If you continue to think life should always be easy, or I should only focus on the positive feelings, you may feel great at the time, but spiritually you will not make as much progress as when you witness and experience your feelings.

I cannot say it better than Rumi does in his poem “The Question”

One dervish to another,
“What was your vision of god’s presence?”
I haven’t seen anything.
But for the sake of conversation, I’ll tell you a story.
God’s presence is there in front of me,
a fire on the left,
a lovely stream on the right.
One group walks toward the fire, into the fire,
another toward the sweet flowing water.
No one knows which are blessed
and which not.
Whoever walks into the fire
appears suddenly in the stream.
A head goes under on the water surface,
that head pokes out of the fire.
Most people guard against going into the fire,
and so end up in it.
Those who love the water of pleasure
and make it their devotion
are cheated with this reversal.
The trickery goes further.
The voice of the fire tells the truth, saying
“I am not fire.I am fountainhead.
Come into me and don’t mind the sparks.”
If you are a friend of God,
fire is your water.
You should wish to have
a hundred thousand sets of moth wings,
so you could burn them away, one set a night.
The moth sees light
and goes into fire.
You should see fire
and go toward light.
Fire is what of God is world-consuming.
Water, world-protecting.
Somehow each gives the appearance of the other.
To these eyes you have now,
what looks like water burns.
What looks like fire
is a great relief to be inside.

What insight do you receive from Rumi’s words?