A funny thing happened on the road to self-discovery
I am perplexed. Like many, I am on the road to self-discovery. It is becoming more obvious as time goes by that the road may never end. Maybe, this is why we always hear the journey is more important than the destination - for many there may not be a destination, only the journey.
It’s probably best not to know this in the beginning. How many of us would embark on an expedition that we knew might never end?
In retrospect, it is clear we all travel this road, whether we choose to or not. We can fully participate, or like so many of us, it can be a wandering without purpose or inclination. Sound harsh? I think so too, unfortunately, this does not make it any less true.
When George Bernard Shaw was reputed to say, “What a shame to waste youth on the young” he was not just referring to physical vitality. I prefer to believe he was also considering the experience and knowledge we gain as we grow older, but no longer have the vitality or time to complete the journey.
So much of our path to self-discovery is determined by how much we really want to know. For reasons uniquely our own, we all have limits on how much self-discovery we emotionally can absorb as we try to find our way. It is strange how elusive the “truth” can be. It is very easy for us to hide in the shadow of our consciousness.
Our individual journey becomes more difficult when realize we are not just one person. There is the person we want to be, the person we are, and the person we were meant to be. While they are not all present at the same time, they all are very much part of who we are.
Adding to the confusion is that we may not know them equally as well. Some, in fact, can remain hidden for years. Obviously, they are all part of who we are, but each shows a different face to the outside world. It is the journey of a lifetime to have all three personalities become one. When they do we are complete.
When this happens, questions of identity and purpose cease to be relevant.. We no longer need an explanation or reason to define our lives.
Why then is this acceptance of our reality so difficult for many of us? For one, our ego does a very good job of protecting us from what we choose to hide from ourselves. I doubt if the ego considers right or wrong. Like any good servant, it stands ready to give us what it thinks we want. Perhaps, the truth about ourselves, like so many effective medicines, is best handled in small doses – at least in the beginning.
I look forward to meeting you as we travel the road together.
Thought for the day: Why do we work so hard to avoid becoming the person we were meant to be?
Brothers Giovanni and Franco, for “Musings” and exploration of the creative experience
We also recommend GiovanniandFranco.com
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