Along the seeker path, a strong desire builds to experience peace as a continual state. A common error often occurs, whereby the initiate seeks to choose their environment, thus beginning to shut out perceived negative energies from their experience in order to create more peace in their life. I won’t say this is wrong, it is a step along a path.

Along my own path, I was in the same place five years ago and struggled to engage with the world with my business, and control my environment at the same time. Rarely would the two meet. Something persistently irritated me. Part of this irritation came from a sense that I was missing something very important in what I needed to learn about being at peace and functioning in this world.

I’d like to say the understanding came easily and quickly, however that wasn’t the case for me. Instead, I experienced more hardships and obstacles than I can shake a stick at. Each event pushed me deeper into crisis with what I truly desired. It wasn’t till one day of complete surrender to the circumstances I had unwittingly created that I “Let Go” of trying to be in control and have all the answers. On that day, I agree to “Be With” and “Move Through” the events life brought my way.

This turning point was only a beginning. More resistance and perceived negativity persisted as I endured the challenges of being in a world that did not resonate with the experience of peace that I longed for. Along this journey, facing each obstacle and working through it, thus moving through it, and discovering a new perspective upon the power of choice, patience with the process of life, and seeing the ‘silver-lining’ in experiences that otherwise be seen as negative, a deeper wisdom sets in as understanding and acceptance is gained.

The process of life has always contained conflict, internal and external. It shapes and moves things, both inside and out. It sheds the old and makes room for the new. It creates pain as wounds are lanced, and expresses joy at new-found freedom. The duality, contradictions, paradoxes, and enigmas of life are embraced as the whole, and we become more whole, now truly walking upon a path to be the change.

It’s okay to trip, get up, dust off, and start walking again.