Pathwalking 21
Pathwalking is about choosing our own fate, our own destiny, and walking a path to reach a goal we desire.
I would argue that while the goal of pathwalking is important, it is the journey that is of greater importance.
One of the main reasons why the journey is more important than the goal is simply because the goal itself is seldom static. It might grow, it might change, it might shift entirely. As you walk the path you may find that during a respite, you came across something unexpected that not only shifts the end goal, but aspects of the journey itself.
And that, really, is the larger truth of this concept. Just choosing to seek your own is a reward unto itself. Because what you will find as you walk the path is not just the unexpected, the alternative paths, the goals, happiness and contentment – what you will discover is in many respects the ultimate quest everyone faces.
You will find yourself.
How many people really know themselves? How many people are amalgams of the person outsiders influence them into being?
So many forces within and without influence us. And while it may seem crazy, often these forces cause us to lose our true selves. We become the son our parents expect us to be, the clown the group turns to for comic relief, the cubicle-occupying employee getting the job done…and the self, repressed by these expectations, gets shunted to a corner, or misplaced entirely.
Choosing and walking your own path is a key way to truly find, know, and ultimately love yourself. And that is why I share this concept. Because I firmly believe that if more people really knew themselves, really loved themselves, the world would be a better place for everyone.
Imagine if the sway of fast-talking politicians, religious zealots, false prophets and pundits lost its power…because people did more thinking for themselves? What if instead of turning to these outside influences, we looked within for answers?
A wise man named John Lennon sang, “Imagine there’s no countries, It isn’t hard to do; Nothing to kill or die for, And no religion too; Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will live as one.”
People are often referred to as sheep. Easily herded, easily moved and influenced. And let’s be honest – it’s REALLY easy to be a sheep. You don’t have to do much, you don’t have to think all that hard, you just go with the wind, go with the flow. But how many people who live in this manner are truly content? How many know who they are, and what they want?
Important fact – THIS IS NOT EASY. All the previous Pathwalking posts touch on the complexity of this concept. Obstacles, fears, concerns, questions, outside and inside influences…there are so many things that factor into this idea. But then, I have long maintained that nothing worth having is ever easy.
En route to the goal, there are so many things that can crop up in the journey, which may change not just the goal, but you as a person. You might meet someone who shows you something you didn’t know; you might read something that changes your plans; you might fall in love; you might learn that a friend is not true; you might see something mundane and everyday in an utterly different light, and be inspired. The point is – if you ignore the journey, even if you manage to reach your goal, it may be hollow and unsatisfying.
I am pathwalking in order to be true to myself, to discover new things about myself and the world around me, and to see what exciting opportunities the journey will present to me. Certainly I have goals…more than one, in fact. But I want to enjoy all the wonder that this journey has to offer me.
Ambitious? Maybe. Hokey? Possibly. But this is what I believe. The opportunities represented by choosing to walk your own path are not something I can or will ignore. I am learning who I am.
Do you know who YOU are?
This is the twenty-first entry in my series. These weekly posts are specifically about walking along the path of life, and my desire to make a difference in this world along the way. Thank you for joining me.
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