Episode 2: The Dark Night of the Soul When You Know There Is More to Life, But You Don't Know How to Find It

Episode 2: The Dark Night of the Soul

When You Know There Is More to Life, But You Don't Know How to Find It. Have you ever looked at your life and thought... I should be happy.

So why don't I feel like myself? Nothing may be terribly wrong. You're still showing up. Taking care of your family. Going to work. Checking the boxes.

Maybe everyone around you thinks you're doing just fine. But inside, something feels different. The things that once brought you joy don't feel quite the same.

You're tired of going through the motions. You know something needs to change, but you can't quite put your finger on what that something is.

I call this season the Dark Night of the Soul. And it doesn't always look like falling apart. Sometimes it looks like functioning beautifully on the outside while quietly struggling on the inside.

In this deeply personal episode of the Soulful Living Podcast, I share what the Dark Night of the Soul means to me, how it can quietly show up in our everyday lives, and why the darkness doesn't necessarily mean you've lost your way.

Perhaps you're simply in the space between who you've been and who you're becoming.

In this episode, we'll explore:

* How to recognize the subtle signs of a Dark Night of the Soul

*Why so many women lose themselves while caring for everyone around them 

* The ways busyness can keep us from feeling what needs to be felt

*Why struggling in silence doesn't make us stronger

*My own experience of carrying shame in silence and eventually asking for help

* The difference between traditional self-care and soul nourishment

* Why you don't need to immediately fix yourself or figure everything out

* The beautiful symbolism of the butterfly, the cocoon, and the transformation happening in the darkness 

* How to begin listening again to what your heart and soul truly desire

I also share the deeply personal story of the butterflies that began appearing after my mother's passing and why they became such a meaningful symbol of transformation for me.

We celebrate the butterfly... but we often forget about the cocoon. There is a sacred space between the version of ourselves we've known and the woman we're becoming.

Maybe you're in that space right now. I

Instead of asking: How do I get out of this? perhaps the more soulful question is: What is this season trying to show me? A Moment of Remembering

At the end of today's episode, I'll invite you into a simple five-minute candle ritual. No fixing. No vision board. No list of everything you need to change. Just you, your breath, your heart, and one beautiful question: What part of me has been waiting to be seen?

Allow yourself to become quiet enough to listen.

This Week's Soul Inquiry: What is this season of my life inviting me to see, feel, or become that I may have been too busy to notice?

Don't rush to find the answer. Live with the question. Allow the wisdom to rise when it's ready. And if you're in the cocoon right now, remember... There are seasons for blooming. There are seasons for letting go. And there are seasons for going inward.

Honor the season you're in. You don't have to become the butterfly today. Sometimes your only job is to trust the transformation happening within. Keep listening to your body.

Trust your heart.

Honor your soul.

And keep living soulfully.

With Peace & Love,

Elizabeth A. Sanchez