A Path to Walk

I read some words the other day that had been written by someone who is very wise.  She wrote about walking a path towards our vision, a path towards what we want to become.  As I read the words I had a sudden feeling that I didn't have any idea what I want to become in life.  I do have a very good idea of what I want to be in any given moment, how I want to act, things that I might want to say or do, but I don't really have a vision of what I want to become, what I want to be working towards as I go through life.  Is it enlightenment?  Is it peace of mind and heart and spirit?  Is it a deeper spirituality?  Is it more money or higher social status?  Wisdom?  Friendliness?  To be a better teacher or coach?  Or am I working towards many things without clearly defining any of them?

Having a clearly defined vision of what I want to become obviously entails a commitment to creating the conditions that will allow me to reach that vision.  If I have a vision of becoming a better (more effective) teacher, then obviously I have to be teaching and/or working on learning about teaching.  If I have a vision of reaching a deeper spirituality, then don't I have to commit myself to creating or finding situations in which my spirituality will be developed and stretched to its limits?  I can't reach a deeper level of spirituality if I never explore my own spirituality, can I, whether that exploration be through reading, discussion, classes, meditation, or however else I best learn.

If I want to be on a path to fulfilling my vision, then I have to be committed to constantly working towards that vision.  I can't have a vision and just expect to reach it through the desire to reach it--desire can be a great motivator, but it's a lousy path to walk.

Do you have any visions of the person you wish to become?  If so, then what are you doing to reach those visions, to help yourself to become the person that the fulfillment of those visions would make you?  Have you made the commitment to allow yourself the time and resources to reach your visions?  Most of us wouldn't hesitate to help another person to reach his or her visions with all the resources available to us, yet few of us are willing to commit the time, effort, and resources necessary to reaching our own visions.  Heck--few of us are even willing to take the time to clearly define our visions, much less try to reach them.  But one of the best things we can do for ourselves is to define the person we'd like to become and then work towards becoming that person.  And once we reach that point, then it will be time to re-define, and then start making the effort to reach the new vision!  That process will put us on ever new paths, with new things to see, new people to meet, and new things to learn about life, other people, and ourselves.  Paths are great that way. . . .