The famous proverb “It’s always darkest before the dawn,” emphasizes that in the darkest hour of the night–symbolical for situations when all hope feels lost–darkness has reached its peak, from which it constantly gets brighter until the light starts to illuminate the world again. Just when you feel all hope is gone, things will get better when morning comes at last. What the proverb beautifully relates is that when you have reached your lowest ebb in a downward spiral of negativity, dawn arrives and brings light and hope to you. The dark night of the soul is just what the proverb describes: an existential crisis that drags you to the ground. A situation so severe and evidently hopeless that it makes you question everything you ever thought to know. Not only that, but it also takes you all your interest in the joys this material world has to offer. Your senses are deprived—if not deadened—for a certain period of time. Don’t lose your faith during this time. Instead, seek God.
But during this period of mental stillness and “self-inflicted” sensory deprivation, you will come to a really important conclusion. You will realize what is really important to you in your life. A realization so profound and powerful that it will change the way you regard your situation for the rest of your life. I, for instance, began to realize that friendship and family were more important to me than anything else in the world. Sports cars were just a pile of nicely fashioned junk; likewise, the technological tools were are playing around in this modern era. Just a scrapheap.
The dark night of the soul is the point where your life has reached a fork in the road with only two directions to choose from.
And just as one has to go through a really tough period in life until things become better, an individual will experience their darkest hour of the soul, which will transform their life forever. In my opinion, it will change your life for the better in hindsight to wisdom, insight and a broader understanding of life in general. One only has to have the courage, so to speak, to see the windows that open when a door closes. Just as one can learn from failures there is a lot to gain from the dark night of the soul, even though it is a very rough and painful period of time that makes one feel like all hope is lost.
Everything happens for a reason.
Something good comes out of everything that happens.
And this is exactly what happens during the dark night of the soul, even though in a somewhat tougher and more painful manner.
The Dark Night of the Soul
But all hope is not lost, far from it! In fact, a far more powerful and wiser individual arises out of such a situation.
In a sense, the dark night of the soul is necessary for an individual’s growth and development. It is the integral part of a life’s journey that turns everything upside down and leaves only the things behind that are important for the voyager and their progress. Without such an experience there would be no room for growth. There is no progress without struggle, as they say.
If you are experiencing your personal dark night of the soul at this moment in time, it is important that you do not give up! Don’t allow it to consume your hope for a better future. Don’t allow it to destroy your faith. Don’t let it take all your courage. Try to stay as calm as possible and see how things unfold. The three primordial questions about existence might arise, maybe for the first time in your life. “Who am I? Where did I come from? And where am I going?” If you have the courage to pursue these questions you will find the right answers that will provide you a new hope. Hint: seek J e s u s.
Whatever is happening to you at this moment will pass eventually, making room for something new and positive. Remind yourself that something good evolves out of everything bad that happens to you. With this kind of powerful mindset, nothing will be able to stand in your way. Have the courage to seek for the new opportunities that will arise as you are experiencing your darkest hour.
In more technical terms, the dark night of the soul is the process that quietens the mind and brings the soul to a peaceful serenity. And one day you will look back at what you’ve gone through, how it affected you and how it profoundly changed your whole life. Then you know it was worth it.
Have you already experienced your dark night of the soul?
11 Comments
We all go through dark times.
I have always had the attitude of “Keep moving forward”.
So far I have always come through being a better person for it.
Thanks
Absolutely right AH!
I found this article very interesting, but first have to get used to this new perspective. I hadn’t considered that tragic events in life could sometimes happen for a reason so I will contemplate on this. Thanks for the food for thought.
when will you share the next article ? I’m really looking forward to read the next master piece of yours 🙂
Hi Sara, I’ll see what I can do 😉
Didn’t knew someone was anxiously waiting for the next article, so I will give my very best that there will be a new article shortly!
Now you know I do 🙂 I always check the website once in a while for new articles to read. It’s been more than a year actually 😉 thnx for the new article, well done 🙂 🙂
Thanks Sara!
Hello Steve this is a great article.
Steve i have a question for you and my question is here –
What if the dark night of the soul comes in your life because of your stupid mistake?
Because of your mistake you closes all your paths of future success or maybe the person thinks thinks like that?
that person wants to go back in time and wants himself not to done that mistake but its not possible because nobody can go back in past or their is no turning back
he thinks he lost all his hopes because of his mistake and there is no other path except death because if he living in this situation (a life without future) he is unable to live. he think death is better than this type of life. his one second is passing like a year or he can’t wait to see what will happen in his future because he thinks nothing good is not going to be happens after he lost a opportunity by his mistake or by his wrong decision.
Give some advice or suggestion to that people? How he have to handle his situation or his dark night of soul?
That’s also possible of course.
The coming of the dark night of the soul could have many potential causes. And as we have no access to these causes we can only speculate.
So the only thing we can do is acknowledge that we find ourselves in maybe the most difficult time of our life. What is really important in these situations is not to give up. Not to lose hope. Everyone finding themselves in such a situation needs to somehow find the light that helps them to pass through this time. The that philosophy, religion or anything else for that matter. Something that helps them and gives them hope. Personally I think it is tremendously helpful to assure oneself that this is only a stage in one’s life and that other and better stages will come.
When I was in such a situation I repeatedly and constantly taught myself that:
“Everything happens for a reason. Out of everything negative that happens something positive will emerge.” This is a universal rule.
Steve you perfectly answered my question. Thank you very much for your help.
“Everything happens for a reason. Out of everything negative that happens something positive will emerge.” I will always remember this universal rule for my whole life.
This is certainly an inspiring article. Life throws a lot of challenges to us. I think that failure does not define how strong a person is. It is always about getting back up and continue fighting. One might not be okay now, but moving step by step will eventually pay off. One must must forward and and find his light from this dark night.