The Warriors Path

Today in my meditation moments as I mindfully sipped my mega mug of mightily motivating COFFEE, a thought stream began to percolate and pour through my awareness.

I sipped it gratefully.

On the “Warriors Path” there are no “volunteers” or “victims”.

The video:

 

The Thoughts:

This is not my idea, this is directly from the teaching of Don Juan Matus, the Yaqui indian who was Carlos Castaneda’s teacher.

Don Juan contended that no person in their right mind would “volunteer” for the path of a spiritual warrior.

We have to be “tricked by the Spirit”.

I think this is a really helpful notion. We do not go willingly into the discomfort and disruption of change. We do not seek to improve our selves until we are pretty MISERABLE with the current state of our lives, relationships or whatever.

We are a “don’t rock the boat” kind of species… We are so culturally trained to “go along to get along” that we often lose ourselves in the process…

But then something “happens to us” that seems like an unfair, un-wanted, unwarranted, “life as bully kicking sand in our face” that we HAVE to respond. We HAVE to wake up and deal with this “nastiness”.

And boy oh boy! when the boat does get rocked, we usually SURPRISE ourselves with how resourceful, strong, powerful, and creative we can be WHEN WE HAVE TO BE.

Or of course we can just complain and go around looking for sympathy and someone surrogate “Mommy or Daddy” to “make it all better.”

Good luck with the second approach! EVENTUALLY we wear out all our “sympathy” cards and have to step up to the plate of life and OWN our mission.

That’s one reason I like the metaphor of a game. Could be chess or baseball. Could be the virtual reality of a video game. In a video game,  as in any other game, you EXPECT there to be CHALLENGES. You would not play the damn thing if there weren’t (it would be boring!).

Think about that.

Or perhaps a better analogy would be to put it in the context of climbing a mountain. Why do we love to climb mountains?

Because it’s hard. Because it challenges us. Because it’s a blast to “earn” your way to a fabulous view.

It’s actually FUN. Even though it can be damn hard. And I’m not even talking about Mount Everest climbing here, I’m talking about Saturday afternoon kinds of mountains. It’s actually more fun to sweat and grind it out up a hill and then use entirely different muscles and focus to get safely back down, than it is to sit around watching someone else bust their ass on Wide World of Sports or ESPN or whatever.

Because it’s real. Because it’s you.

Now. With gentleness and compassion, I ask you to lovingly look at some “problem” or “challenge” in your own life with the notion that somehow you have “tricked” yourself into doing some deep and satisfying “work” on yourself. Work that is to your Spirit what climbing a mountain on a beautiful Autumn day is for your body.

Are you going to climb this way? Or That way?

Which handholds and foot holds will support you?

Will you take the steeper, shorter path?

Or the longer, more gradual one?

Will you go alone or with friends?

There’s an old saying, “To go fast, go alone. To go far, go with others.”

Sometimes, the way is so steep, you need friends. You may need someone to “belay” you. That way a slip or a fall is just a temporary reminder that you need to attempt a different approach.

You can’t “hate” the mountain.

You can’t hate the weather conditions or the trail.

You can’t hate the people who invited you to this adventure (that could be your parents, or the “despicable” person who falsely accused you of something to the HR department or the weather, or your handicap, or the kids back in elementary school who teased you… :o).

You can’t hate the rivers and streams you have to cross or the roots and boulders that attempt to trip you as you climb.

Hating doesn’t get you to the top.

There are no volunteers on the warriors path.

There are also no victims.

We are all here with the same opportunities to bless our challenges. To use them to grow. To appreciate them. To love them.

Or to curse and whine and give up…

But you’ve come so far. At a certain point turning back is fraught with just as much challenge and hardship as going forwards. So why not just keep putting one foot in front of the other? Move forwards. Focus on what you want.

“Keep your eyes on the prize,” to quote the old civil rights movement song.

And in the process to be absolutely ok and pleased with every single step forward… every single detour or delay is perfect. Even our doubts and fears are perfect. It’s the perfect opportunity to transform and transcend who you “used to be”.

What a beautiful view from up here!

Why does it work out better than you can possibly imagine?

Thoughts? Questions? Stories of your own “climbing” mountains of challenges?

Mark
Copyright: maridav / 123RF Stock Photo

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