This might come as a surprise, but the right path doesn’t always emerge paved in gold, blanketed with comfort. Many times, when you follow the right path in life, you will inevitably experience uncomfortable feelings. Why? Well, think of it like this. When you’ve become accustomed to certain beliefs or a way of living for so long, and your life radically changes, it will feel foreign, and maybe even scary at first.

When you go through an internal awakening and realize you cannot keep living like you have been, you might begin to question everything you once knew. Don’t worry, everyone goes through this from time to time. You can’t expect the right path to appear and your life suddenly becomes devoid of challenges or upheaval. In fact, uncomfortable feelings can indicate that you have found the right path; after all, why would we ever follow through with a decision if we didn’t feel the least bit of apprehension? Isn’t life about taking risks, and going forward even if we feel scared? Oftentimes, the things that scare you will actually contribute to your growth as a person, which means you should follow through with them as you continue on your journey.

Here are 5 uncomfortable feelings you have when you’re on the right path:

sad feelings

1. Nervousness/anxiety

Anytime we face something new in life, we will start to experience feelings of apprehension. After all, anxiety and excitement are basically the same emotion, expressed differently. Maybe what we feel anxious about, can actually turn into what we feel excited about later on. As you continue on your journey, you might find that old ways of thinking simply don’t match up with your life choices anymore. You might begin to see the world as a hostile, scary place, and wonder how you fit into it all. Don’t worry or beat yourself up, this feeling is normal.

Oftentimes, it takes feeling utterly bewildered and on the verge of a breakdown to see things clearly. Feeling anxious simply means you have been resisting change, so just let go and let flow. Everything will work itself out in the end.

However, if you feel anxious the majority of the time, here are some ways to combat those emotions.

2. Feeling lost

You might begin to feel disassociated with everything around you, and feel totally disconnected from yourself and others. Again, these feelings will pass. All this means is that you’ve begun to awaken to your true identity, and all the old layers and false beliefs will start to melt away. If you feel like you’ve lost your direction, don’t let this overtake your senses. Remember, you have to lose your way to find it, as we live in a universe of duality. You cannot know yourself until you lose yourself, so consider this a blessing.

3. Insomnia

As you start to follow the right path in life, you might find that you have trouble falling, or staying, asleep. While this might seem harmful and very destructive, it can lead to incredible breakthroughs and new ways of thinking about life. Remember, it must get worse before it gets better, so losing sleep can indeed lead you to discover a totally new way of living that will help you feel more fulfilled, relaxed, and happy, thus resulting in better sleep.

These times might seem difficult and scary, but also remember that you are not alone here. 7 billion other people have to occupy this planet and share your struggles and fears as well, so find solace in this fact.

4. Isolation

Awakening to the right path can seem incredibly isolating at times. Others might imply that you’ve lost your mind, but don’t pay them any attention. Oftentimes, we find our inner truths in silence and solitude, so embrace them. You don’t need to feel afraid of your own company; instead, learn to love it. Make friends with your darkest shadows and your brightest light, and you will find that you don’t feel so alone by yourself after awhile. Isolation gives us a chance to define ourselves, instead of allowing our group of friends or family members define us.

5. Realizing that you don’t know who you are

It’s perfectly normal to release old labels and ways of identifying yourself. You don’t need to have stringent labels placed on yourself in order to function in this world; embrace yourself as the beautiful, cosmic being that you are, and keep an open mind. Being present and realizing that we can change moment to moment will help you on your path, as you strip away all the labels that no longer serve you.