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Moisture
dripped from soaked branches and thick mist hung like a veil over the face of
the forest. It had an eerie feel, even for a nature-lover that had hiked this
mountain over 100 times. I walked the familiar path until something strange caught
my eye - a new trail of some sort. Intrigued, I followed it and within minutes
stood underneath a deer hunting tree-blind. With that question answered, I decided
to continue walking through the forest without a path rather than retracing my
footsteps. I am good with directions and knew the general bearing in which to
head. The further I walked, the stronger the feelings grew - unrest, discomfort,
anxiety, fear. What a curious thing to notice.
I stopped and did a quick assessment. I know where I am and where I need to go,
I don't know exactly where I will come out but I am not lost, I know I won't become
lost, I am just as safe here as on the trail, yet I am uncharacteristically afraid.
Knowing that I was perfectly fine, I did not panic and kept going. I also kept
noticing, the environment, myself, and my feelings. I saw this as a powerful awareness
exercise and used this occasion as an opportunity to learn.
The
further I walked into the unknown the more clear it became that this was a metaphor
for life and the human experience. We know where we are and where we need to go,
we don't know exactly where we will come out but we know we won't become lost
when we trust ourselves, we are safe, yet we are afraid. We are so afraid that
we will cling to any path, especially the well-worn path, just for the sense of
security it brings us, albeit a false sense of security. Sometimes the path that
we stick to is not even a path that is headed in the right direction. Paths like
addiction, dependency, and shallow spirituality are not fulfilling or healthy
paths, yet we desperately cling to them because their familiarity gives us a sense
of safety.
This
is a trap that we must recognize and free ourselves from. To do so we need only
stop, look at our lives, and notice where we habitually act. If we are entrenched
in a deeply grooved trail we do not need to remain there. We will not get lost
if we wander the forests of our heart and soul. We are just as safe, or unsafe,
bushwhacking through new territory as we are on the well-known trail.
It's
different to go off-trail. Different is scary, different is also freeing and expanding.
When was the last time you took a different way home, or went off-road down the
two-track that you've always wondered where it goes? Didn't it feel exciting and
just a bit scary to do so? Why don't we do this more often? We are busy, sure,
but we are also programmed to follow the trail. We have herd mentality. We are
like cattle following the leader to the barn, or to the slaughter house as the
case may be. This is the trap of our society - conformity without awareness. Through
things such as wanderings, ponderings, and questionings we can free our souls
and expand our minds.
This
mountain journey revealed many treasures. A beautiful stream and meandering deer
trails, areas that looked ripe for spring dryad saddle and morel mushrooms and
autumn hens-in-the-woods. I found inner power to travel on through fear, trust
in myself and my senses, adventure, and I didn't get lost. Eventually, I wandered
onto a trail that led to a hidden intersection with the main trail. I marveled
at what I had missed, and what I had found.
I realized that things are not always as they seem and that we are quick to label,
categorize, and dismiss things. We place it in a mental box with our past experiences
and then move on without really experiencing this new thing. I thought I knew
that mountain, but in fact, I knew very little of that mountain. Amazing things
await our discovery when we go wondering and pondering through new territories.
Cool stuff is missed when we merely plod along the path. It's the "missing
of this cool stuff" that steals the life force energy out of our soul and
our life, leaving us feeling unfulfilled, searching, empty, lost, tired, and bored.
Now
you know, and you can choose. Keep doing things the same way hoping for a different
outcome, or get off the path and look around. Free yourself, free your mind, and
free your soul! Just think what might be out there, and "in" there,
just beyond the edges of the known path.
~ Colleen Deatsman is the author of Seeing in the Dark Energy for Life: Connect with the Source and Inner Power: Six Techniques for Increased Energy & Self-Healing. She holds a Masters Degree and is a
Licensed Professional Counselor, Energy Movement Healer, Reiki Master, Certified Hypnotherapist,and Certified Alternative Healing Consultant. Colleen is also an expert by personal experience.
She has healed herself from chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome (CFIDS),fibromyalgia, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism and asthma.