Filling the Empty Spaces in Our Soul

My friend Sally Harker recently commented, "I love nearly everything about your blog, especially reading stories of women who are achieving their dreams. BUT what about (which is when she sent me the link to this cartoon).....the women whose dreams go unfulfilled?" 

 

Sally has always asked me thoughtful questions (thanks to her, I wrote this post and this one).

In this instance, I'll answer her question with a rhetorical question -- have any of you achieved all your dreams?

I haven't. 

Do any of you have empty spaces? Empty spaces that never get filled -- at least on a timetable you like.

I do.

When dreams go unfulfilled, and spaces in our soul are empty, there is sadness -- we need to honor that sadness.

But isn't it also true that as we look to fill our empty spaces, it is then that we begin to 'write our story, one in which we are the hero, and ultimately make our greatest contributions?

What are your thoughts?

As you go back and read the posts from guest bloggers, can you see a recurring theme?   Space that was empty -- and a figuring out how to fill it?  And have you noticed that in the figuring out, women are finding their magic?  Becoming heros of their story?

Comments

[Janna]

This post reminds me of song by David Wilcox, "That's What the Lonely is For." On several occasions, the lyrics to this song helped me accept and listen to my emptiness. Here is it:

The depth of your dreams, the height of your wishes
The length of your vision to see, the hope of your heart
Is much bigger than this
For it's made out of what might be

Now picture your hope, your heart's desire -
As a castle that you must keep
In all of its splendor, it's drafty with lonely
This heart is too hard to heat

Chorus:

When I get lonely ah, that's only a sign
Some room is empty, and that room is there by design
If I feel hollow - that's just my proof that there's more
For me to follow - that's what the lonely is for

Is it a curse or a blessing this palace of promise
When the empty chill makes you weep
With only the thin fire of romance to warm you
These halls are too tall and deep

But, you can seal up the pain, build walls in the hallways
Close off a small room to live in
But those walls will remain, and keep you there always
And you'll never know why you were given... why you were given the lonely

Some room is empty
If I feel hollow that's just my proof that there's more
For me to follow - that's what the lonely is for

From the deep of your dreams, the height of your wishes
The length of your vision to see, the hope of your heart
Is much bigger than this
For it's made out of what might be

[Jaime]

I think of a professional development I attended on goal setting. To meet a goal you needed to be significantly dissatisfied with your current position, otherwise you wouldn't make the changes necessary to move towards the desired goal.

I think of the empty space that exists right now in some of my personal goals, and wonder how I can honor that emptiness more so I get sick of it, and REALLY want change. Until that happens, nothing else will.

[b]

Aren't dreams much like a prayer...when you believe that prayers are answered then a dream/prayer may be something you submit to your maker for approval. Now we all know that we take a chance when we dream/pray. Sometimes the answer is yes and often the answer is no...not this dream/prayer. However, we then need to reexamine why we wanted what we wanted. When the answer is no we need to realize that the dream is not dead...it only needs to be revised.

A void filled with disappointment, I have always thought, makes us stronger and wiser. Take that as a gift. It does not need to be a void to be filled but a lesson to be embraced. I should know because dreams have died in my life...many times.

Thank you for your visit Whitney...I continue, like you, to do what I do. Yours is a wonderful quest. Don't stop!!!

b

[Amy J o]

Sometimes my empty spots turn out not to be empty when I realize what else took their place. Sometimes when it's a matter of time that prevents me from filling my empty spots I look for other things to temporarily fill that need: good friends, cultural events, religion.

[Luisa Perkins]

Oh, how I love and miss Sally. I'd love to be in touch with her again.

I'm still hopeful that my professional dreams will be realized, though I often get discouraged.