Walking The Path
“There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.”
Morpheus, The Matrix
It is often said that knowledge is power. However, I’d argue that knowledge is only the half of it. Knowledge put into action is power. Actually acting on what we know is frequently the tougher part of that equation.
Many great thinkers and moralists have struggled to take their own advice. Stephen Covey, author of the acclaimed 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, confessed, “I struggle almost daily with all 7 Habits.” I myself believe in the suggestions I’ve given in these pages, and yet I’d be lying if I told you I follow my own advice perfectly or all the time. I try, but the truth is I’m human and we all struggle to do our best imperfectly.
As humans, even if we know how we’d like to act, we don’t always follow our own advice. Even when given a myriad of tools we could use in our day-to-day life, sometimes we just choose not to use them.
You may think some or even a lot of the suggestions in these letters are helpful, and yet struggle to implement them. That is more than understandable. Again, hell, I wrote this stuff and I still struggle to live by what I believe to be true. I take it one day at a time – sometimes one moment at a time – and do the best I can. I make a lot of progress, but I don’t achieve perfection. In fact, I’ve come to accept there is no such thing as perfection.
To accomplish this progress, I find it helpful to surround myself with positive people with similar goals towards self-exploration and self-improvement. We tend to mirror our surroundings, and it's easier to be who I want to be if I’m surrounded by people who embody that. People who are stuck in an unhappy place in their lives surround themselves with other stuck, unhappy people (I know cause I use to do that too). Positive, supportive, emotionally self-connected, and empathetic people likewise would do best to surround themselves with people who reinforce how they would like to view the world, themselves, and others.
I do believe in the importance of engaging with people that challenge my views and me. These letters came only as a result of my journey to challenge my views, which I still strive to do. However, I do so bearing in mind that I can walk away if it starts to feel like it is coming at the cost of my serenity, well-being or who I want to be.
We do not have to implement all the tools and ideas at once. We can pick what we’d like to try today and see what does and does not work for us. Know that it might change as life changes and as you change.
Meditation, step work, inner child work, many types of therapy, journaling, support groups, calling friends, self-help, and many other tools are at our disposal. Yes, we have to actually do it but “it” can be whatever works for you today. I’ve learned that much like there is no one right way to live life (I chose to believe, the right way to live your life is your way), there is no one right way to work on one’s self. If someone tells you his or her way is the only way, run. Find whatever path works for you and walk it the best you can. And if it changes, great, take the next path and the next...
When I make mistakes, when I fail to walk the path, I forgive myself and keep moving. I can give myself permission to be human, to be imperfect, to love myself faults and all – in fact, especially the faults. Our faults are the parts of us that needs the most love, patience and acceptance. And I hope you too can grow to love yourself, especially your faults. If you're pointed in the right direction, you need not know the destination. You need not walk the path perfectly. You need only keep walking. The journey is the destination.
Ask Yourself:
In what ways do I know the path but not walk it?
What kinds of people would I like to surround myself with? Where might I find them?
What tools might I like to try using today?
What does “the journey is the destination” mean to me?
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for letting me be a part of your amazing journey. And thank you, for being a part of mine.