Pathways

Posted on June 1st, 2009

“There are many paths but only one journey.” Naomi Judd

pathwaysThere are many paths we can take on this journey through life and fortunately we can change paths at any time if we find we are headed in an unpleasant direction. Embark on a new career, move to a new city, end a relationship, start a new hobby, change our health habits and so on. Even if we don’t consciously choose a new path when the detour signs warn us, we somehow end up where we’re supposed to be, albeit a little bruised at times.

This journey called ‘life’ has a way of teaching us exactly what we need to learn, but ultimately it’s up to us whether we learn it the easy way or the hard way, whether we take a bumpy road or a smooth road. Within the paths of our life, we can also decide what type of pathway to take.

Some pathways are peaceful, like a gentle stream meandering through a forest. Other pathways are rough, like a rocky hillside with a steep incline. Some are exciting with large hills to ride over and careen down, some are inspiring with expansive vistas and breathtaking scenery, some are unclear like an overgrown trail, and then there are those that are direct like the express freeway with no views, but very expedient. What type of pathway do you prefer?

Insights

♦ What is the type of pathway you are on right now? Is it easy and smooth, filled with effort and struggle, exciting and adventurous, slow and bogged down, effective and efficient, or a blend of one or more? If you were to choose a metaphor in nature to depict your pathway, what would it be?

♦ When you reflect over your past, what types of pathways have you taken most often? Did you enjoy them? What motivated you to take them?

♦ If you were to choose your ideal pathway right now, what would it look like? How would it feel? What would it do for you?

Inspiration

♦ If you are already on your ideal pathway, congratulate yourself for creating this and set your intention to continue on this as long as it serves you. If you are not on your ideal pathway, take some time to discover what has led you to your current pathway. Go beyond circumstances to the underlying beliefs, fears, attachments, and so on that have created the foundation of your pathway.

♦ If you would like to choose a new pathway, write down what qualities you would like it to have (focus more on what you want than on what you don’t want, so instead of writing, “I would like it to be less dramatic,” write, “It is calm and peaceful” or whatever vision you have for your new pathway). Then ask yourself the following questions and write down the answers: What would I have to change in order to be on this pathway? What would I have to let go? What would I need to embrace?

♦ Experience your new pathway right now. Close your eyes and envision it as a scene in nature. See yourself moving along this pathway; view the terrain, smell the scents, feel the sensations in your body through your movement. Then let go of the vision and just feel the essence of the pathway (peaceful, flowing, exciting or whatever it is for you) and let the energy of it flow through your whole body and mind. Open your eyes and take this experience with you; operate from this perspective daily and it will be your new pathway no matter what path you are on.

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4 Responses to “Pathways”

  1. Laurie PK Says:
    June 1st, 2009 at 7:14 pm

    I absolutely adore taking new pathways in life! Moving, finding new jobs, joining new groups, meeting new people, traveling to new places…change is my favorite way to live.

    But I’ve been wanting to embark on a pathway of self-forgiveness and self-acceptance, and that’s definitely harder to find.

    Gini, do you have any suggestions for increasing my self-forgiveness and self-acceptance levels? And — do you think that the more you forgive yourself, the more forgiving and accepting you’ll be of others?

    Thanks for your thoughts,
    Laurie

  2. ginigrey Says:
    June 2nd, 2009 at 2:37 pm

    Hello Laurie - thank you for your comments and for sharing the current path you are on with self-forgivness and self-acceptance - both such healing pathways to follow.

    I’ve been on the path of forgiveness for both self and others for the past year and miracles have been abounding in my relationships - too many to share here, but I do believe that as we accept ourselves and forgive ourselves we are more naturally accepting and forgiving of others and then we see people so differently - we see their true beauty, not just the personas they wear. And when we are judging or criticizing others it is usually because we harbour those sentiments towards ourselves and are simply noticing it in others because it mirrors us.

    I want to share two articles from my Insights & Inspiration archives with you that may be helpful. One is on forgiveness at http://www.ginigrey.com/archives/apr07.htm and the other is on self-acceptance at http://www.ginigrey.com/archives/sep08.htm.

    They both briefly talk about the topics but then have suggestions for how to be more self- accepting and forgiving. The forgiveness article focuses more on forgiving others, but has a great experiential exercise for being in the state of forgiveness which you can apply to yourself.

    I see forgiveness as much more than just saying I forgive so and so or myself but veiw it as a higher state of being - so hard to explain in writing, but if you can imagine the state of joy, and then feel it in yourself (as you think of joyful things) this is a state of being. The same is with forgiveness - it feels very loving, compassionate and, for me, like a releasing.

    If I need to forgive myself for something (that is usually in the past so doesn’t exist anymore anyway) I get into a meditative state and touch into the vibration or energy or mood (or whatever you want to call that feeling place) of forgiveness and then I let it flow through my whole body and mind while I look at what I did (or the other person) and as I do that, I feel the resentment or judgment just float away and it is replaced by a perspective or understanding that things just are as they are - there may be consequences but its above right and wrong, or good and bad, if that makes any sense.

    If I feel I am still carrying a resentment or judgment towards myself or another, I notice in my body where I am feeling it and I notice the color, size, etc. as well as the message within it. From this place of awareness you can then choose to release it and let it move out of your space.

    I know this all sounds a bit strange but it works for me and for my clients when I guide them through this process. We all carry emotions and judgments in our body and energy space and with awareness (and acceptance of course as what we resist sticks) we can consciously choose to release it and move it out of our space.

    Hope this helps,

    Gini

  3. Laurie PK Says:
    June 3rd, 2009 at 6:28 am

    Thanks, Gini — this helps alot! I haven’t looked at your articles yet, but I will.

    I also have to remind myself that it’s a continual process. Similar to brushing your teeth or doing chores — you might have to make a conscious effort to do it every day! But, unlike brushing your teeth or doing chores, you might one day be so good at self-forgiveness, you won’t have to make a conscious effort. It just happens naturally because you’ve practiced it.

    :-)

    Laurie

  4. ginigrey Says:
    June 3rd, 2009 at 11:39 am

    It really is a daily process as you said. Then it becomes natural, but also, I think through this process of self-forgiveness, we move out of judging ourselves and others in the first place as we are more loving - so we don’t need the forgiveness after awhile because we realize there is nothing to forgive :)

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