Do you ever ask yourself, “Am I on the right path?”

Day 29 of Quarantine. I hadn’t gone further than my mailbox in 18 days. It was time to venture out – safely. Which would be the right path?

Since my last hike on March 22 was surprisingly packed of people, I headed to a more obscure location with a sign that reads, ‘Watch for falling rocks. Proceed at your own risk.’ That should work, there won’t be many people here.

Some observations gleaned from my trail…

The more obscure, the more likely the path will go in and out of view. It may be a rock or boulder you need to climb (obstacle) then you see the path again. Trust you are going the right way, but don’t be afraid to backtrack if need be. Sometimes the fastest way forward is actually behind you. It doesn’t mean you are not making progress, you simply are on a switchback and when you turn around again you will be amazed at your progress, elevation, and view. Spectacular!

If you are really feel stuck and confused, ask for help. Sometimes you need help pointing you in the right direction and then you’ll get to return the favor to another with your newfound knowledge.

Assume it may get difficult and acknowledge it is part of the journey. Yet don’t push yourself harder than you need to. Drink water and listen to your body.

Don’t buy into what others expect of you. I know an 86 year old woman who climbed to the base camp of Mt Everest and at one point she considered turning around before arriving (mindset issue, her vitals were fine, so she did end up making it). While also knowing someone half her age who would have benefitted greatly by not “pushing through” as her body truly needed more rest and nourishment. Only you know the difference between pushing your body beyond its limits and letting a mindset stop you in its tracks when it doesn’t need to. Cultivate listening to your inner wisdom, not others.

Remember why you are on the path in the first place.

Be clear with what you want and why you want it, you will need to remind yourself when it gets difficult or you get distracted. 

For me on this hike, my vision was to shake off the cabin fever, get some exercise, enjoy Mother Nature and do a walking meditation and clear my head.

I got distracted by my decision to count the people I passed, I didn’t think there were very many, yet I was amazed and intrigued as they started adding up. Soon my mind was filled with numbers and decisions, do I count them if I have already passed them before? What about if they are wearing a mask? Am I counting actual people or exposure? 

See how quickly the original intent and goal of my hike was lost to other fascinating, yet clearly not the metrics to match my priorities? Our goals and days, which turn into lives, can go like that. We set out on a particular path, excited and filled with vision and purpose and then wake up one day clouded by a full life, yet missing the priority we set out for ourselves. It doesn’t mean we were not entertained along the way, yet we can lose track of what matters most. 

And that is the gift in this downtime.

A pondering, some introspection, not only for ourselves, also for Mother Earth and how we can better care for her, and humanity as a whole. We were becoming so divided. Now we are seeing we are all in this together and there is more loving kindness than we may have noticed before. 

To your good health and happiness, 

Sheila

If you enjoyed this article, you may be interested in:

3 Things That Rob Us of our Joy https://thegratefulgoddess.com/what-robs-us-of-our-joy-musings-by-the-grateful-goddess/