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Is This
The Way To Go?.
by Hubert
Pryor |
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If life is a journey (and I think it is), where are we
headed? And if we can answer that, how do we get there?
What road, path, course do we take? And what's our means
of transportation?
Making the right decision at life's crossroads
challenges us to know what to do--and not do.
Of course, that term "crossroads" harks
back to the time when every journey (at least on land)
meant traveling on a road. And somewhere along the road
we'd come to an intersection and have to decide which
way to go. In today's world, life's journey takes
directions not simply to the left or right, but also up
or down, faster or slower, more intense or more relaxed
and with a variety of consequences we need to consider.
In choosing our course, we need to keep in mind our
goal. Or should we say "goals" (plural)?
Ah, it's easy enough for us to say we aim for
happiness, survival, redemption, peace, love, success
and on and on--maybe one or many more such desirable
ends. But we can't achieve such goals, let's admit,
unless we consider that they're the effects of cause.
"Cause and effect." That's a phrase that
rolls easily off our tongues. But in setting our goals,
let's not confuse what comes first. It's cause, of
course.
So here we are at a crossroads of life. If we set a
goal that's happiness, survival, etc., shouldn't we
consider first what it is that brings it about? And what
might that be?
Could it be attitude? One's self-worth? The truth
about who we are?
O.K., let's not be too hard on ourselves. We can be
overly guilty sometimes. And overly proud. And overly
self-righteous.
At a crossroads of life, let us simply know we are
worthy ones entitled to worthy lives. None of us would
ever be if it weren't for a creative force endowing us
with all good. It simply figures. A creative force, by
definition, simply can't be destructive.
Yes, that's positive thinking. Worldly conditions may
have us smile indulgently at the phrase. But here at
life's crossroads, we're trying to find directions,
right?
So let's consider the path to follow, the effect we
seek, in the light of what we are and can be as the
cause of what we seek. In other words. what instructs us
to go left or right? What instructs us to hurry forward
or proceed deliberately or just amble on? And what
empowers us to do so?
Here's where we define our goal or goals and then
consider our ways and resources for getting there. Yes,
it may help to give a score to each alternative, to
write down the pros and cons and weigh them on a
make-believe scale.
We consider our ways and resources for achieving our
objective. We consider what we can do with the resources
we see at hand--in terms of money, time, geography,
relationships, etcetera.
But we don't stop there!
We look inward, to the resources we have as worthy,
inspired beings. Each of us does that in our own way--by
meditation, prayer, a long walk in nature, or just
complete withdrawal from worldly affairs. One way or
another, we're tapping into Wisdom.
Here's where we may indeed find it best to stop and,
in our daily life, go ahead with our worldly routine.
No, we won't be ignoring our purpose. We'll know that,
as we have looked inward, we'll have started our soulful
wheels turning. Not spinning, but moving toward our
clear-cut goal.
One thing: We'll keep our inner eyes and ears open.
Never impatient but ever alert, we'll be ready to take
action when we're prompted to. When and as Wisdom
directs.
In the infinite truth of things, Wisdom already will
have the answer we seek and the means to bring it about.
Our task is to fine-tune our alertness. And be ready to
take action when we're prompted to--maybe right away.
Maybe one step at a time.
For sure, let us know that the process has started.
©Copyright 2004 Hubert
Pryor. All Rights Reserved.
Hubert Pryor is a retired editor of national
magazines--Modern Maturity and Science Digest among
others--Hubert Pryor is the author of SOUL TALK:
Positive Mind Treatments to Turn Your Life Around
(available through DeVorss & Co., 553 Constitution
Ave., Camarillo, CA 93012, 800-843-5743, www.devorss.com)
and a forthcoming book, SERENITY 101: Spiritual
Wisdom, Ancient and Modern, for Peace of Mind Today.
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