We are at a critical juncture. I don’t mean for that to sound scary; it actually has the potential to be very exciting. But, as one of my dearest mentors has been saying, this is going to be a month of Choice Points. How it all goes down is really up to you.

This past week the following Anthony DeMello quote made its way into my field of awareness: "Most people tell you they want to get out of kindergarten, but don't believe them. Don't believe them! All they want you to do is to mend their broken toys. ‘Give me back my wife. Give me back my job. Give me back my money. Give me back my reputation, my success.’ This is what they want; they want their toys replaced. That's all. Even the best psychologist will tell you that, that people don't really want to be cured. What they want is relief; a cure is painful."

I’m in the business of curing, although sometimes I get folks who are more interested in relief. Let me be clear about something: we’re getting to an evolutionary point where there is essentially no such thing as “relief” anymore. As a planet we simply cannot afford it. The Universe has upped the ante and is asking us to do the same. If we’re not in it for the “cure,” we’re going to have a rough ride from here on out.

Here’s the deal, as raw and real as I can put it: If you’ve been in troubleshooting mode, guarding against what’s swimming underneath those pesky symptoms, the jig is up. It’s time to do the hardest work of your life.

But don’t take my word for it. Consider your world right now. More than likely, you are being confronted with some kind of major trial or transition. It might or might not be an outer crucible; either way, there is a deep internal recalibration going on in the collective. This inner shift will eventually have some kind of impact within the outer world. For example, a realignment of values might lead to a change of job, relationship, or purpose.

Everyone’s “test” will look a little different. Perhaps you are making a career change. Or leaving a relationship. Or getting ready to start a family. Or perhaps you’re in the midst of a deeply disorienting spiritual awakening and you have no idea, yet, what the implications of that will be in your life. Or maybe you’ve hit a wall with a partner or family member and are being asked to reconfigure the relationship along completely different lines. No matter. The crucial thing is that you’re fully in whatever it is, facing it head on, and inviting everything – the good, the bad, and the ugly – to the table.

Easier said than done, that bringing-it-all-to-the-table stuff. When we’re up against our most seemingly intractable issues, resistance will come to the fore, sometimes with a vengeance. It’s human nature to run like hell when we meet our edge. We will find every excuse in the book to not do the work. We don’t have time. We need to save money. We don’t think anyone or anything can help. And the list goes on.

If there’s one thing that is of vital importance right now, it’s this: don’t let yourself off the hook (you definitely want to beat the Universe to this!). Be ruthlessly honest about where you’re running. Pause. Take a breath. Allow the resistance to be there. And then find a way to kindly dig in in spite of it.

Conscious work is not “easy breezy.” While sometimes it can feel that way for a while, especially when the process is still new and exciting, there comes a point where our core wounds and deepest issues demand attention. This is usually the point where the work “loses its luster” and we fail to be as enamored as we once were. But this is actually a sign that we’re touching down in the deep. If you’re someone who has bolted at this juncture, I invite (and compassionately challenge) you to get back on track.

The major Choice Point lies in essentially this question: Will you continue to seek “relief” (if that’s what’s been motivating you to this point) or will you step up to the work of curing?