When we follow the slender threads, we open worlds. –Kim Hermanson
I met with a colleague over coffee this morning, and we talked about how powerful it is when we listen to the whisper of divine inspiration and allow it to guide us in our life and career choices. I’ve said for several years that my work on the Invisible Wounds of War project has always felt spiritually inspired.
Jungian analyst Robert Johnson coined the phrase “slender threads” to refer to our curiosities, along with synchronistic events that occur that guide us and shape who we are– “call it fate, destiny, or the hand of God.” In my experience, when I follow these slender threads, the way opens with ease and grace, and when I ignore them and try to force something that I feel I “should” do, I feel like Sisyphus, struggling to eternally push a boulder up a steep hill.
If I ignore these inspirations long enough, the calls become louder and louder until they eventually manifest in some sort of symptom, often a physical symptom in my body, until I decide to deeply listen to and follow the inspiration. The older I become, the more I’ve learned that it’s simply easier to follow them from the start, even though they may not make rational sense at the time.
Try a mindful journaling practice in response to these journaling prompts:
What inspirations are appearing in your life in the form of repeating or powerful dreams, synchronicities, or doors that randomly and easily open?
What would it be like to just say, “yes” and follow the slender threads?