As I walked in the woods this morning and watched my dog prance through the forest, I noticed how he was happy to roam all over the woods sniffing and exploring, while I stayed comfortably and securely on the path.
A metaphor came to mind of how we walk along the path that our forefathers have laid for us, rarely questioning where it goes and whether or not it is the right path for us. But, other animals venture deeper into the woods to explore and discover things that they can’t reach from the path.
It is part of human nature to build on what the previous generations have learned and created. We build our collective knowledge this way and it’s been part of our tremendous successes as a species. But we could learn from the other animals who venture much further past their own ancestors paths and go on their own quest.
Sometimes the path meanders and we could have gone a more direct route. Other times there are obstacles and signs that we need to try a new route, yet we stubbornly stick to the path. Why? Forging into new terrain can seem like alot of needless extra work. Why not go with the flow we ask ourselves? Why take the risk of muddling our way through the dark deep forest? The path has already been laid out for us, we don’t have to learn a lot of new things. Why not just coast?
Clinging to ways that we have outgrown keeps us in bondage to the past. We are in a time in which so many of the old paths are no longer serving us. Our economic and financial systems, for example, have created massive disparity and unfairness between the rich and poor and incredible debt loads that are bringing many, if not most, nations to the brink of bankruptcy. These paths were created for a different time. We truly need to create new ones.
Similarly, our approach to health care is outdated. We focus on illness rather than wellness. We spend billions of dollars trying to fix problems, rather than investing in creating positive healthy environments. Which reminds me of another system that needs a new path, our approach to the environment. We treat our world as an endless supply of resources and a bottomless garbage pit, because we see ourselves completely disconnected from our planet. Yet, this is the very thing that supports every aspect of life, including our own. We have finally come to a point in our evolution in which it is more important for our survival as a species to go beyond the paths of our ancestors, than to simply build on what has been done before.
So why not take some time to examine the path you are on? Step off of it from time to time to experience the world of possibilities that lay beyond. Who knows, you may even create a new path that others will follow. Yes, it is scary and yes, you might get lost, but rest assured you will always find your way home if you listen to your intuition and your inner wisdom.
Please let us know what you think!