Hola, today I wanted to highlight not only an amazing human being but a very neat point about the journey.
So I stumbled across this awesome pic on Pinterest, and it led me down a neat path. I don’t know about you, but many times in my life I have been told how I was going the wrong way or making the wrong decisions. Now most of the people telling me this were older than me –some were mentors, others were my friends. And for sure, family members would weigh in early and often.
I would listen and really take in what they had to say. But while I tried to do as I was told / advised, I found that things were just not right for me, or I would find roadblocks and problems. I guess that’s why this quote from Angelina Jolie really hit home.
I am reminded of an awesome story about the Knights of the Round Table that Joseph Campbell tells (and that is mentioned in the Pat Solomon’s awesome film, Talking Joe).
The story goes like this:
Here’s an important installment in the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, as adapted from Joseph Campbell. It’s a wonderful story of humanity’s spiritual journey. The Knights and their King were challenged to find the Grail in the midst of the woods that grew outside the borders of Camelot. This mission sounded easy enough, except that when they all rode into the woods as a group, the Knights got hopelessly lost and somehow ended up right back when they started.
After this happened several times, someone had a light bulb moment, and the Knights realized that each should enter the woods at a different point. No longer would they crash through the woods as an army, as if the Holy Grail could be taken by force. Each man was to make his own journey to find the Grail.
This led to a number of other adventures, of course. Anytime a knight was in the woods and came upon a path cut by another knight, he couldn’t just follow it for that reason. If he tried to do that, the knight would, once again, become hopelessly lost. And then he’d find himself back where he started. The knights who found the Grail were the ones who followed their own path, which was determined by prayer, intuition, and courage – not by others’ paths.
This is not to say the Knights lived lives of isolation. They gathered around their Table regularly, to enjoy the camaraderie of other braves souls. They shared their adventures and celebrated what they found.”
Aha! What I realized is that so many of us are pushed, poked and prodded into the wrong direction because we feel that we must follow (like its our duty) what these older, more experienced ones tell us to do.
It’s their path, not yours! The thing is, you end up searching so hard (and working even harder), to make “their path†work for you, that you end up losing yourself in the process.
That’s why I really dig Ms. Angelina Jolie’s quote. Here is a stunning, smart and big-hearted woman who took a long and rough journey. But in the end came out on top and realized that she needed to forge her own path to success and happiness. She’s an inspiration for sure.
So, what will your path be??? — Ness
Ness@Jedemi.com
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Our buddy, St. X had this to say on the matter:
The important thing is to strive towards a goal which is not immediately visible. That goal is not the concern of the mind, but of the spirit.