Our personal life journeys are as uniquely rich and diverse as perhaps the snowflakes out there. As close as they may seem, no two paths are identical. We are each here to traverse our personal journey. How those journeys unfold is all up to us, and their level of quality depends on how in alignment they are with our priorities.
One of the most common questions that we may find ourselves asking is, what is it that makes a perfect journey, or the right journey? One, where when we get to the “end” we are proud and satisfied, having thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Because we are each here for a different purpose, it is impossible to share one, clean and compact answer to that. Only you can determine the answer for yourself based on your personal soul and evolution needs, and desires. However, there is one thing that all journeys have in common that make them, if we can say “successful”. That is, being in alignment with our soul purpose along the way. Experiencing what we came here to experience, doing what we came here to do, and being what we came here to be.
This is of course not always easy to determine as most of us have no idea what the purpose of our life is. This to a great degree is also dynamic and fluid, evolving as we evolve. Again only you can determine this answer for yourself, and it starts with asking yourself some questions, going within, listening to your inner being and reflecting on the answers you receive. Then, to follow through and be in alignment with our personal path, we need to examine our priorities. Are your priorities leading you towards or against the flow of what you wish to experience?
In this article, we will examine the role our priorities play in determining the quality of our life and helping us honor our personal journeys. After sharing a personal example, we will reflect on putting it all together into daily practice in each of our lives.
Your Priorities Lead the Way
I think one of the toughest things to observe on this planet is people fighting against themselves. That is right, I said against themselves, not others. (The latter is a whole other topic.) What I mean by this more precisely is the common example of people sabotaging their personal happiness, seeking one thing, some particular result or experience, and doing things in the opposite direction. This is when we really must ask ourselves what is it that we really want?
If we want more freedom, we cannot be taking on more work hours, or a bigger mortgage, or increased responsibilities.
If we want more health, we cannot be eating indiscriminately, excusing destructive lifestyle habits or hiding behind the “everything in moderation” paradigm.
If we want more love, we cannot engage in spiteful behaviors, judgmental criticisms or guilt-ridden responses to force some selfish outcome.
If we want more peace, we cannot continue to act out reactively, attack others (verbally/physically), or take things personally.
If we want more clarity, we cannot seek mindless distractions, keep running away from experiences of stillness, or continue amassing material clutter.
If we want more joy, we cannot engage in negative self-talk, criticize others, or complain about what is.
I am sure by now you are getting the point that there needs to be a certain logical connection for things to flow in the direction you are seeking. Although it may not always be clear, our Universe is not a compilation of random chaos. Everything is governed by laws of cause and effect, where no action is without consequence. So if you are not getting the desired results in your life, in short you have two choices as I see it…of course life always has grey areas that include various combinations of both, but things boil down to the following:
One, you can continue to pine away for what you wish you had, or could do, or lament over how things should be different, changing nothing.
or…
Two, you can change your approach and get new results. When we change the cause, we generate a different effect. How this translates to our lives is that we cannot continue doing what we are doing as Einstein shared, and expect a different result. Something needs to change, and the first place to look is what your real priorities are. When you get honest and align these to the desired outcomes you wish to experience, life takes on a whole new dimension. In fact, it is nothing short of experiencing life from a different dimension.
My Personal Journey
When it comes to me, if there is one thing I learned by now about my journey is that it is highly based on following the call of my inner being. Exploring new ideas and places, creating and being creative have today become part of daily living for me. I decided to get clear with what my priorities are and live them. This is as I see it the major difference why my life seems to flow, while so many others struggle. I was not born under any luckier star than any other being on this planet. I am just consciously choosing to connect the dots in my life and align my priorities with my personal life journey.
One of my priorities is personal freedom. So much of what I have chosen to do in the past few years reflects that and following it through has helped me stay in alignment with my personal path. Therefore when the idea of a long distance hike came around this past winter, and my inner being began to first gently, then more vigorously let me know that I needed this very intense time out period, I began to listen. Although I consider myself much more free today than the average person who is tied to a regular job, it is amazing still how running 4 active websites+ of written and video content along with social media interaction can tie a person down. And so many thoughts ran through my mind…where do I even began to leave things be and take off for over 5 weeks? I don’t have the privilege of someone just stepping in for me, or taking over the reigns to keep things running smoothly. The audience is used to regular content coming out….there is a certain flow and schedule… people are used to contacting me anytime they choose for questions, or advice and I have always been here thus far and available. How will this work? As I examined various aspects of the spiritual and material world within and outside of myself, it was easy to see my two choices. Deny this experience and remain in my personal status quo, or take the first step to making it happen knowing that all will be taken care of when we align our priorities with our personal journey.
When we honor our personal journeys, it is natural that many questions and doubts, perhaps even fears will come up for us. The long distance hike that I am undertaking will involve over 400 miles (600km) of walking, sleeping outdoors and having a minimal amount of things on me in a back pack. I have never come close to doing anything of this sort in my life to date. So aside from professional concerns, it is natural to wonder if I will even be able to accomplish this new experience as may be intended. I am going into completely new territory on so many levels and am finding comfort in the not knowing. What I do know is that I always have the power of intention with me, and simply need to take the first step. And that is really the best thing any of us can do in any part of our life—take the first step into alignment with our personal journey.
While my example above may be trivial compared to some serious dilemmas people have in their life, the same patterns still apply. If it is a relationship that has reached its end, take the first step to dissolve it. If it is a dietary program that you feel may improve your health, take the first step to implement it. If it is a job that is blocking your creativity, take the first step to remove it. If it is an experience you wish to have, take the first step to making it happen. No matter what it is, getting our priorities aligned, and taking the first step in a new direction is all that we need to focus on to generate new results in our life.
Putting Our Words Into Action
So what more can you do to apply these concepts on a practical level in your own life for best results?
For starters, it takes us getting really, and I mean really honest with ourselves. We cannot keep running in one direction, when everything in our heart and soul is calling us in another direction. Perhaps it is even more immediate and it is your body and mind that are desperately trying to get your attention. Listen, and actually hear what your inner being is trying to say. The fastest way to know that we are out of alignment with our soul purpose, or simply out of alignment with our well-being is that life becomes a challenging struggle. Ha! You may be thinking that cannot be right, looking all around us life is a challenging struggle for the majority of people. That is just a normal part of life, after all, isn’t it? The answer is a BIG, no.
Just because most of us have become used to, or accustomed to living this way, and seeing others live this way does not mean this was the way it was meant to be. As I always share, just because something is perceived to be “normal”, does not make it natural. Life is only meant to be as hard as we make it.
As a result, when we get clear about our priorities, align them with our personal path and live them, life starts to take on an effortless ease. There is no mistaking this feeling. If things in your life seem to be lining up in just the right places, at just the right time, you are there. However, if you keep running into obstacles and road blocks, and are perpetually “trying”, it is a most clear indication that something is off track.
Another indication that you are out of alignment is the feeling of not being at ease. Many of us live in this state chronically where we just cannot seem to be able to relax and enjoy ourselves. You can imagine why if you picture yourself, a row boat and a flowing river. When we are out of alignment with our personal life path, it is like constantly trying to row upstream, against the current of the river—against the current of your life. You can quickly perceive the hardship, struggle and effort that comes with such a task. Now picture yourself letting go of rowing and letting the river carry you forth. The first thing that will happen is that your “boat” will change direction and all of a sudden you are free to enjoy the ride and the view, as the river carries you forward. There is no resistance, no struggle, no effort, just flow.
Often following our path simply involves having the courage to stop resisting and just let go. Allow your life direction to change. Allow the river of life to carry you and guide you. Be a conscious observer and participant along the way. In this way, you have the liberty of stopping to get off along the way, and taking part in whatever may attract your attention or call you into experience.
So as I align my personal priorities with my life journey, I wish you the strength, courage and motivation to take the first step and align your priorities with your life journey. May we always honor our personal journeys and the journeys of others, as we traverse through this landscape of life on Planet Earth.