"When I first set onto my path of awakening, I felt as if my whole world was falling apart. Many of the things to which I had devoted my time, attention, and energy, suddenly became meaningless. It can be a very startling and unnervng to discover that the values for which you lived no longer seem real. I did not find the same satisfaction or communication with the friends I was used to spending time with. I wondered why I was doing the kind of work I was in. The social pursuits which had formerly brought me pleasure no longer held gifts for me. I felt that most of the goals that I had strived for were no longer true for me and not worthy of my continued attention. My entire sense of purpose had shifted. I had a brief taste of something more and better, but I did not know how to make it a lasting element of my life. I felt lost, sometimes even as if I was going crazy. It was a dark night of the soul."

"If you are passing through such a night, or have ever done so, take comfort in knowing that such a void is a very important, helpfull, and necessary part of the journey. When planting a garden, the earth must be turned over, tilled, and smoothed out before new seeds can grow; otherwise the old weeds will overtake the seedlings. In the same way, before a new shining building can be erected, the old, dilapidated, and useless structures standing on the lot must be cleared away. We must make space for something new and better to enter our life. While it may seem that we are out of control or subject to forces greater than ourself, it is important to remember that there is a wisdom in the events that we attract to us. All is for learning, growing, and healing. God is very present, and we are not alone."

"Such a time calls for faith, the knowing that everything somehow works out for the best. It is not your world that is shattering, but your illusions. God's world can never be shattered, for God's world is founded in love, the only indestructible energy in the entire universe. If you feel disillusioned, then, take heart; dis-illusion means the end of an illusion. Disillusionment is the best thing that could happen to anyone. It means that something false has been undone, and the truth behind it is available to be discovered. The truth is always healing. Only illusions are painful. Therefore be glad, even proud, that you have had the courage to learn a lesson that would break your illusions and replace them with greter strength and wisdom."

"Our pains and tribulations are the chipping of the cement off the Golden Buddha. The armor falls away to reveal the gold. A worthless image is crumbling, and the treasure is coming forth. It is the end of the cover-up and the beginning of the radiance. In such a birth, there is great cause for joy."
Out of "Dare to Be Yourself," by Alan Cohen

There are all kinds of events in our life that can cause disillusionment, and it can happen over and over as we strive for the truth in life itself.........