It occurred to me recently that this journey is far from an easy one. It demands everything we have. And often feels as though it requires more than we have to give. To approach the task with rigorous honesty is to come to accept that many of the places we have sought refuge and even made sanctuaries lack the implicit qualities to provide us any shelter in the midst of the storms we seek to escape. The so-called gift of awareness is in fact a double edged sword as whilst it promises growth and progress, this comes at a price. It will doubtless get cold and uncomfortable as we emerge from those familiar hiding places, our well developed habits, distractions and obsessions along the path of freedom from self, and from self constructed fantasies.
We have, for whatever reason, imbued the most inappropriate people, places and things, with apparently magical qualities, hoping they might hold the keys to our happiness when in fact the combination to that particular padlock was to be found only within ourselves. Coming to accept responsibility for our destiny, on a moment to moment basis, is certainly a challenge but one well worth the risk. The first step is to allow our illusions to fall away, in order to see more clearly our resources, and dust each of them off in preparation for the journey we must each go alone.
‘We don't receive wisdom. We must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.’ Marcel Proust
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