If life is a journey, as some will claim, where is it going?
The cynics have a ready, perhaps overly simple answer. Many, though, are prepared to think more deeply on the issue.
A journey is far more than getting to a destination; it’s an experience to be enjoyed, to satisfy and to share. It’s a unique experience, for no two journeys, even over the same ground, are identical.
It’s an opportunity to grow and develop fresh perspectives. It offers the chance to benefit and enrich, our self and others. It’s always a unique gift.
We’re making this journey, and we’re travelling together. Let’s make it worthwhile.
What are your thoughts?
Given that life is indeed a journey, which is perhaps one constructive way to envision it, how should we monitor its effectiveness? Having no clear vision of an ultimate destination, the most familiar reference point, what other options are available to us?
To begin, might our initial question be, “Is it real, or is it just an illusion, a dream?” One singular difference between these two options is that reality has a defined purpose while dreams and illusions are free from such constraints. Purpose makes any experience meaningful, as it serves higher and greater ideals.
But not every journey has such a defined or acknowledged purpose; some are confused and conflicted, others appear aimless and pointless. They all engage us, demanding our investment and action; but not all are focused on adding value. The travelling experience though, is the same, and we’ve the opportunity to choose.
Our choices should serve more than our material, or tangible experiences. After all, like icebergs, we’re constituted of so much more than meets the eye. The greater part of us, eight-ninths, lies beneath the surface of our senses. Here lie the enduring qualities of love, truth, respect, compassion and empathy, those aspects offering our life quality rather than quantity of experience. It is these we need to serve if fulfillment is our goal.
Beneath the surface lie some answers regarding origin, oversight, and opportunities, the persistent, elusive yet impactful questions. Additionally, we grow and emerge from within our Self and self-awareness is the starting point. We should select our pathways carefully. Many are obvious and easy, making few if any demands on us; but a few others are more demanding, even perilous, offering greater rewards in terms of satisfaction and fulfillment. It’s our defined identity and purpose that determines our selection.
There’re always challenges. Our material awareness informs us of its needs and wants, continuously. Using self-created devices, like time and space, it attempts to make decisions on our behalf, suggesting there are imperatives, priorities, contingencies, and essentials which are at variance with our real identity, purpose, and interests. Distractions and diversions are all around us.
Such can and do appear as deceptive fellow-travelers on occasion. There’s comfort in company, offering diverting activities, sharing the experience and the load as we travel. If their purpose is parallel to our own, this is enriching; if there’s no such affiliation it is merely distraction. We, alone, can know the true purpose of our journey and so the responsibility is ours to defend it.
The final enemy is procrastination. Getting started, persisting against obstacles, being resilient in the face of setbacks, remaining dedicated over time and changing circumstances, isn’t the easiest of undertakings. It is so much easier to surrender to the soothing temptations of the ‘pauses that refresh’, the fascinating diversions that deflect us from our chosen paths and ultimately from fulfillment.
The Way is narrow and difficult, but it is our right and our destiny.
We can begin now!
