My Path
“We find our path by walking it…”
I was drawn to this quote years ago, and have a framed print of it here in my office as a reminder.
The path we walk, the path we choose, the life we lead. How does it unfold? As a seeker, I have always been drawn to things which brought me clarity. Clarity that brought me insight as to who I am, an understanding of why things have unfolded as they have, and how to help give me a sense of agency and empowerment in an otherwise unpredictable world.
The life we lead is on a path- but what we often overlook is the fact that this path is not linear. It’s cyclical. We’re on a looping roller coaster of ups and downs, of highs and lows, and we can push through all of it, or we can learn to ride the energetic wave. We may search for that constant growth and forward progress, but that’s not reality. We, natural beings in this world, are just like nature that surrounds us. We have moments of growth and action, but we also have times of recovery and integration.
The moon is cyclical, waxing and waning. The seasons are cyclical- it’s not all sunshine and warmth year round. I write this with snow on the ground, snowstorm clouds in the sky, and leafless trees filling my view. Just like the season of winter I find myself in now, I too am in a similar stage. I have been on an insatiable search for knowledge (200-hour yoga teacher training, sabbatical to Bali, Mindfulness Educator programs, Reiki certifications, 600- hour Ayurvedic counseling program) and now I am resting. I am integrating all of this information, processing and digesting what it all means, and how it applies to who I am now, and who I have yet to become. I am recovering from all of that effort. While this “down” period is a challenge for someone who is so used to performing and feeling my value based on all that I can achieve, I am taking a new approach. I am resting and integrating the information so that I can arrive, come warmer months, ready to share all that I’ve learned and be of service to you all in a way that feels good and is in alignment with who I am on my path.
But it’s not quite time yet. I have some wintering to do, needing some time to digest it all, and rest so that when the time comes I will have the capacity to share it all in a meaningful way. But it’s not easy. To wait. To pause. To practice walking this path in a way that is my own, and in a way that feels good for me, not just for all of those around me. Recognizing where I am in this cyclical journey and making choices that support where I am now, not just where I think I should be.
My hope is that these entries give you a sense of what it is like to experiment with your path, to challenge the paradigm you are given and to rewrite the script so that it is empowering, fulfilling, grounding, and filled with ease and joy. So, I am curious.. Where are you in this cyclical path? And what will you choose with to do with this new information?… and as Mary Oliver so famously questioned, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life”..?
