Blazing Your Own Trail
by Starcat

When I’m feeling discouraged or stressed out, I sometimes ask myself why I “have to do things the hard way.” I’m following my own spiritual path, or more accurately, creating the trail as I traverse it. I’ve chosen to be myself and heed my intuition, rather than follow the well-paved sidewalks that society offers. And it can be rough sometimes, with briars and hidden sinkholes and clouds of mosquitoes. Yet at the same time, the view is amazing!

Being awake to your spiritual needs and aware of the hidden parts of what we call “reality” can be a lot of work. Rather than covering up your feelings and impulses with alcohol, pills, shopping sprees, or other distractions, you continue to show up each day, open to learning more. You realize that there’s so much you don’t understand and that life is so vast that you may never comprehend it. Yet you also become comfortable with the mysteries of the cosmos.

I don’t wish to imply that living consciously has to be difficult, but it does mean devoting time and energy to your spiritual self. If you compare your situation with others around you, there may be times you wish that you had a more conventional life. Each choice you make becomes part of your journey. As you learn to live with compassion, you speak and act with more care. Teaching yourself new ways of living can be a lot of work, especially when your old patterns of behavior try to reassert themselves.

Yet rest assured that blazing your own trail brings such a wonderful feeling of peace and joy. On the good days, when your creative juices are flowing and laughter comes easily, you’ll know that all the hard work and practice is worth it. Sure, you could strive to be “like everyone else” and do things the way others do. But the universe needs your unique perspective. There is no one else like you! Awakening to yourself and your connection with the divine mysteries is deeply satisfying.