Pathwalking 175
When one path ends, another path begins.
Sometimes it’s hard to see what that next path is going to be, and sometimes that path is not revealed before you realize you are already upon it.
I have written before that we are often on more than one path at a time. One major philosophy I believe is that life is not linear. We are very seldom on the move from point a to point b, we are traveling in ellipsis and circles and zig-zags and all kinds of crazy, often unspecific directions. As such, frequently more than one path is being undertaken at a time.
Most paths are directed, there is an intent for a conclusion to your path. We will see our paths to their finale, although sometimes that is not the end we necessarily intended. But whatever path you are on and whatever ending is reached there will follow another.
Not everything can be planned for in life. There are going to be surprises and unexpected opportunities and even new ideas that will change who you are and where you want to go. As such, no matter what you are doing or where you are going you will always have another path to uncover.
It is not always obvious, of course, where the next path will be. It might feel as though starting the next path is a complex and difficult challenge, and that can be even more frustrating when you conclude the path you are on.
I may reach the end, but certainly Pathwalking is not over. No, in fact I am always discovering and choosing new paths to travel upon.
There are times when the conclusion to the path you are on is not what you expected. From time to time the end of the path winds up being a need to take a wholly new path, at times it is a sudden conclusion catching me off guard, and the goal may simply have been achieved. What comes next? Do I have to find a new path now? What if I can’t think of the next path I should take, and I do not make a choice?
The notion of Pathwalking is to take control. It is to not just let life live me, but to take control and choose the destiny I want. Some paths are complex and convoluted, while others are simple and direct; still others are some unique combination of complexity, insanity, simplicity and calm. No matter the path or the how of its journey, the importance is to make choices.
There are always new choices to be made. There are always options, always opportunities. Certainly there are times this is hard to believe, and I know there have been times I have felt as though my options were limited. We all experience that. There are always choices, there are always possibilities. No ending is ever the end, so long as you draw breath and move through any given day.
One path is over, and perhaps you don’t need to begin another, but instead to simply shift your focus. It is surprisingly easy to lose track of one path while focusing on another, so it may be that you get to a conclusion of one, and find that it is of less import to start anew, and more to simply shift focus upon one you are already along.
It is possible that a detour off your chosen path may close that path and open up a new one for you. It is possible that a break from the path may have that same effect. The important thing is to be open to change, to be ready to close a given path and start upon a new one.
I have concluded one path I was along for some time, and now I am seeing what other paths I am already on can get my focus, and/or if I need to embark upon a new one.
Which leads me to a slight digression. One path I am on now is not wholly my own. I have chosen to share this path with another, and that means that choices on that path will effect us both. There will be choices on that way that I make, choices my partner makes and choices we will make together. No matter how and what we choose along the way, paths will begin and end, and the path we share will change. The key to that change is what control we exert over it together.
That being written, paths are many and diverse, and we should face not only the paths we are on now but the paths to come with excitement. Despite bad days and disappointments and situations we may not have control over, we can always discover new paths, take new chances, and make our own choices.
I know every path I choose has a conclusion. It may be far off, it may be unclear, it may be absolute and it may be certain. No matter how the path ends, the journey will be completed. When that happens, there will be another ahead. Pathwalking is about choice, and choices always exist. We just need to take them on and make them for ourselves.
I am empowered to walk any paths I choose. You have that same power, and the only one who can deny it from you is you. Keep that in mind with every path’s beginning or end. One path may be completed, but there will always be another to be chosen.
Are you choosing your paths, old or new?
This is the one-hundred seventy-fifth entry in my series. These weekly posts are specifically about walking along the path of life, and my personal 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 year of Pathwalking, including some expanded ideas, is available in print and for your Kindle.
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