Pathwalking 152
Everyone is walking a path.
The difference between a self-identified Pathwalker and anyone else is choice. Someone practicing Pathwalking is choosing their life, choosing the trail they will journey upon.
Everyone is on some kind of path. Everyone moves along in their life, whether they are living life for themselves or letting life live them. All of us will have three identical experiences in the world we occupy. Birth. Life. Death.
The where and how of birth will vary, but the overall mechanics of the process are the same. This is also true of death – the time and manner of passing will be dissimilar for us all. We have very little control over these aspects of our existence – but the middle, the longest portion – life – we have the ability to be in charge of that.
Certainly how we are brought up, the way our parents have raised us will influence our adult life. However, even as children we recognize that there are choices, and choices all bring about different effects. Choose to obey your parents or choose to act out, we learn the difference between praise and punishment.
Once we reach the point on our lives when we begin to identify ourselves, where we start to know just who we are and what we are made of, we begin to be more cognizant of both our options, and what will happen with any choices that we make.
Unfortunately it is also around this time that we begin to learn about limitations. We are shown not an abundant universe, but instead a world of social ladders, haves and have nots, rich and poor, strong and weak and so on. We are told there is a place for everything and everything has its place, and we will also have to accept limitations on our lives as such.
Despite decades of advancement and social change, we still live in a society riddled with divides. We see emphasis not of what unites us, but of what separates us. White and black, male and female, straight and gay, rich and poor, religious and atheist, old and young…we see competition, we see conflict, we see struggle to overcome artificial limitations and differences placed by a minority that the majority silently allow to hold power.
I began to explore this idea because I wanted to not be a sheeple. I did not want to let life live me, I wanted to choose my own destiny. I wanted to find a non-competitive, self-empowering means to take control over my life.
I share this idea every week not because I want to force anyone else to my point of view or lead some sort of army of self-aware do-gooders to bring everyone else in line…I share this notion weekly because I want to help spread empowerment for the good of us all. I repeat time and again that the how and direction of my path will not be the same as yours…but that you can choose for yourself.
We have become complacent in this day and age in a number of ways. We have allowed a small number of greedy, self-serving individuals to dominate the political and business world, and we have allowed a rather myopic, dated vision of life determine for too many people their day-to-day existence. I believe it is because too few people understand the importance of self empowerment that we still face sexism, ageism, racism and worse.
When we examine the options before us for paths we may choose, we develop the ability to control our individual destinies. When we take control of our own destinies, we become empowered. Empowerment means we learn not only the path we have the option to take, but also who we are going to be as we travel upon it.
There is no one cure for what ails our society today. Rather than fighting against the things we do not want in this world, we need to change our focus and work to build the things we do want. We should work for the things that will make the world better, rather than against the things we are unhappy with in the world today.
Pathwalking involves seeing the world for its possibility, for its potential. I know it will not be easy, and I know that sometimes it looks outright impossible. But this life is my life, and I am going to be the architect of my destiny. I want to enjoy what life has to offer, and I believe that I can choose for myself.
Rather than focus on injustice, it is better to focus on what we can individually do to have justice. Rather than fear, we need to focus on love. Rather than hate, we need to focus on mutual understanding. Rather than try to change what we have no control over, we need to focus on the things we can take charge of. That is what conscious Pathwalking is.
Everyone is walking a path. The question is, are you choosing yours, or letting someone else choose for you?
This is the one-hundred fifty second 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. Feel free to re-blog and share. Thank you for joining me.
The first fifty-two weeks (Year One) of installments of Pathwalking is available in print and for your Kindle.
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