I was looking something up for a friend on my flash drive and came across something I wrote called "The Path." Apparently I typed it up back in October 2006. I must have just finished meditating or was doing some computer journal work when I came up with it. I opened it tonight to read it. What a powerful message! I'm not sure what my feelings were at the time I wrote it but I was in a very different place five years ago than I am now. However, the spiritual journey or, rather, the message for my spiritual journey, is very much the same. I'm going to add it to this post because it truly relates to what I'm attempting right now.
The Path (originally written 23 Oct 2006)
The path you’re set upon is never easy. It takes hard work, perseverance, and great courage to make it to your goal.
These are the things you must do, and they will be difficult. But if you wish for peace, you must do all of this. If you sit back, if you try to take an easier road, then the goal will not be achieved by you, but by someone else, and that someone else is not necessarily the person who was meant to reach it.
You will face many adversaries, but the greatest of these will be your own fear. Embrace it, but do not let it control you. Fear is a double-edged sword. It can work to your advantage, but it can also lead to your downfall.
This is what you must do. Listen to these words and heed them well. Above all, I want you to remember this: the goal cannot be achieved alone. Do not try to go for it alone, for life cannot be lived in solitude. It will take many hands to clear the way.
First, trust your intuition. It will guide you down the right path if you listen. When a dream is not just a dream, a memory not just a memory, when something is telling you that things are wrong, this is your intuition. There are some who will try to swerve you from your intuition, but these are false friends whose negativity is not needed in your life right now. Trust yourself. Only then can you be trusted by others.
Second and equally important are faith and belief. There are those who say these are two different things, but they are in fact the same. Belief in yourself, belief in others, even when people tell you that you’re wrong, that is faith. It is also a part of trust. Trust that everything is all right, believe that things will work out, and have faith that your prayers are answered. Only when you believe in yourself can others believe in you.
The third is seeking. You have questions that need answers. Why is the sky blue? How are rainbows formed? Why do I feel unhappy? You are seeking for truth, both inner and outer. The world is full of truths, sometimes disguised in the most colorful of forms: a fairy tale, a nursery rhyme, a conversation with a friend, the smile on a child’s face when they see a butterfly. If you’ve taken this path, then you have already begun to seek. Whether it’s in quiet meditation, the noise of city traffic, or the voice of the wind, seek for your own wisdom. Once you know yourself, then others can know you, too.
The fourth is love. What is love? How can it be defined? Romance? Flowers? Chocolate? Sex? Family? Friendship? Is there true love? Real love? What does it mean to you? Can you answer this question? The love we see in movies, read in books, hear in songs means nothing if we do not know what love is, and the only way to know that is to learn to love yourself. Love everything about you; embrace every part of your being. Do not view yourself as unworthy, too fat or too skinny, too freckled or too pale. Every part of you is beautiful, and every part of you is worth your love. After all, only by truly loving ourselves can we learn to be loved by others, and to love them in return.
The fifth is emotion. Emotions are everything. They can affect our mood, our day, our year. How are you feeling right now? Have you taken a close look at your feelings lately? If we’re happy, it’s a good day. If we’re sad, it’s a bad day. Do not let bad or sad feelings weigh you down. Do not let them shape your day. After all, it is safe to think that whatever we put out, we receive, which leads us into the next paragraph.
Number six is giving and receiving. What you give, you get back. If you put out love and friendliness, you receive love and friendliness in return. If you put out anger and negativity, then that is what comes back to you. It is an equal share, giving and receiving. When you give to the universe, the universe gives back. Why would we want to give ourselves sorrow or despair? No, we want happiness and joy. We want good friends, loving relationships, family, homes, security, etc., and we can have all that. We just need to take the right steps.
The path of life is a journey, from beginning to end. It goes uphill, downhill, through the dark forest, around corners, across the river. As I said before, it will not be easy. But if you learn to trust, to believe, to seek, to love, to feel, to give and receive, then you’re on your way to your goal and the dream becomes a reality.
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