There are times when our whole world seems to be falling apart around us, and we are not sure what to hold on to anymore. Sometimes our relationships crumble, and sometimes it’s our physical environment. At other times, we can’t put our finger on it, but we feel as if all the walls have fallen down around us and we are standing with nothing to lean on, exposed and vulnerable. These are the times in our lives when we are given an opportunity to see where we have established our sense of identity, safety, and well-being. And while it is perfectly natural and part of our process to locate our sense of self in externals, anytime those external factors shift, we have an opportunity to rediscover and move closer to the core of our being, which is the only safe place to call home.

The core of our being is not affected by the shifting winds of circumstance or the cycles of change that govern physical reality. It is as steady and consistent as the sun, which is why the great mystics and poets often reference the sun in their odes to the self. Like the sun, there are times when our core seems to be inaccessible to us, but this is a misconception. We know that when the sun goes behind a cloud or sets for the night, it has not disappeared. It is only temporarily out of sight. In the same way, we can trust that our inner core is always shining brightly, even when we cannot quite see it.

When things around us are falling apart, we can cling to this core, knowing that an inextinguishable light shines from within ourselves. Times of external darkness can be a great gift in that they provide an opportunity to remember this inner light that shines regardless of the circumstances of our lives. When our external lives begin to come back together, we are able to lean a bit more lightly on them, understanding more clearly than ever that our true home is the bright sun shining in our core.