Pathwalking 30
Everyone wants to see results for their effort.
We all want to know that we are succeeding in our goals. We are inundated with phrases like “results driven” and “results oriented” in job descriptions. No matter what we do, the results are important to us.
Just to add a little fuel to that fire, we are a quick-fix, instant gratification, get it NOW society. We want to see it happen AS SOON as possible. Tomorrow is not good enough, we want it YESTERDAY.
Often, this is totally impossible. While some things can be done and made to happen nearly instantly, some take time. And time is something a lot of us often get over-attached to.
“Time is the reef upon which all our frail mystic ships are wrecked,” says Madame Arcati in Noel Coward’s Blythe Spirit. But there is an essential truth in this statement – how often is there “not enough” time, or we are “running out of” time, or “time’s up?” How often is time the excuse for failure?
Because of our obsession with time, when results do not come fast enough, we get frustrated. When we don’t see the results of our efforts, we begin to question the validity of our choices.
This can lead to standing still on the path, and wondering if this was the right choice. Maybe I should have just stayed with the status quo. Maybe this is a mistake. Maybe, maybe, maybe…
Results are not happening. My effort is not gaining me the result I want. I feel stuck, I am becoming flustered, frustrated with inaction. I thought I was doing it right…why am I not succeeding?
There may be several answers. I have mentioned before that sometimes you will take a pause while on the path. Maybe this is a time to reevaluate, maybe you’re not doing what you really need or want to be doing. Maybe you need to stop worrying about time, and allow for things to happen when they will happen.
The key of course is to ask questions. What am I doing? Why am I doing this? Is this what I want, or is this only what I THINK I want? Does this make me happy? And when you ask these questions, the answers will provide the guidance necessary to continue along the path.
Another important thing to observe is what you are learning on the way to the result. Maybe you need to see that you are missing something of equal or even greater import than the results you are after.
I believe that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is not clear in any way, shape or form…but there is one out there. When you take that into account, then there is a reason why the results are delayed.
You might be missing something key. You might have only half of the picture you need. Perhaps you zigged when you should have zagged, and as such you are almost – but not exactly – on the right path. It is even possible that you simply need to be more patient, and allow for it to happen.
Which brings us to patience. In the age of ADD, ADHD, adult variants of both, and short attention spans, patience is veritably unacceptable. So many things in life are products of instant gratification – who needs to be patient? But some things simply take time, cannot be rushed, and so too might be the path we walk. So the results might take time to be seen.
I am guilty of this problem. I have had to learn patience, and am still learning. I logically understand that things can take time, and I need to accept that…but that doesn’t mean that emotionally I do. And so when the results are not coming, even though I am certain I am doing it right, I get frustrated. Once I get frustrated, it slows my progress, and if I do not get the situation in check, next thing I know I am stopped on the path.
Or worse, I find myself moving backwards. Pathwalking is about moving forwards along the path, not retracing your steps until you find yourself backtracking.
Backtracking, in fact, is the opposite of Pathwalking.
What is backtracking, and why is it the opposite of Pathwalking? We’ll explore that in the next post.
We choose our own path to live as we wish, and as such, we expect results. When we begin to get frustrated if results are slow to come, we have to pause, and check our awareness. We must regain awareness of our intent, our thoughts, and our feelings, and if we are happy, continue on the path. And if not, we need to alter our course as necessary.
Pathwalking is not the quickest, the easiest, nor the least taxing journey. Pathwalking is taking your own life into your own hands, and making it exactly what you desire for it to be. This is the path to contentment, joy and happiness. Isn’t that what we all really want from life?
This is the thirtieth 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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