As I hiked with my family in the Adirondacks over rocky hills, up mountains and through the chilled current of mountain waters; climbing, scaling, stretching, grabbing, holding, jumping, and trusting my body wading in varied currents, I became very aware of the paths in nature and the connection to paths in my daily life. I began to ponder this as I sat perched high on a benevolent boulder, the warmth of the sun casting its sunshine upon my body with rushing water surrounding me. I noticed the people on the shore line. They were sitting, watching, pointing, comfortable, and looking at me as if they wished they could be where I was. Did they know the courage, strength, and trust I have in myself and in Spirit is what enabled me to get to this place in my life? In life, as on a mountainous hike, there are paths that are more traveled.  These paths are marked very clearly with signs, or just from people traveling them over and over and over again.  You can see where the path has been worn down, patted out, and stomped through. You can find a clearing through the woods or a trail that has been worn down to the earth of dirt and stone.  These trails are easily traveled, not much awareness is needed to follow such a cleared path.  Not many challenges are met for you to strengthen your spiritual self. You feel comfortable, relaxed, confident, and assured that this trail is safe as so many have walked it before you.  You may even start to congratulate yourself as you found the right path that is easy and takes minimal effort.  Turning on that autopilot seems natural as you let the lay of the land guide you through, not being aware of much around you.  You reach the end of the uneventful trail with not much excitement, although it was fun, safe, comfortable, and easy. Then there are the paths less traveled.  Those not so clearly marked.  The paths seen from an awakened, conscious soul’s keen eyes.  These paths are found through guidance of inner strength and a sense of always becoming more, wanting more, searching for more and the knowing that there is a greater way of being.  These paths may be prickly, scratchy, overgrown, challenging, painful, and altered by unforeseen magical experience. There are uneven rocky terrain, steep hills that need strong effort put forth to climb, scale and hold on dearly so as to not allow yourself to fall over the side to the deep gorges below.  There are current- ridden waters that will challenge your faith in yourself and God as you must stay steadfast to the other side knowing that, when you have reached the other side, it is just the beginning again.  You strive to remain fully awakened and conscious, for if you’re not, you may miss the guidance brought to you from Source.  The choice to journey on such a path takes courage, faith, trust, and an inner spiritual warrior constitution. If I had chosen to continue my journey on the safety and comfort of the well-marked path, I would have missed out on the treasures that were boundless from Spirit that day; the cool fresh sweetness of the river waters, the different formations, textures and colors of the magnificent boulders that I climbed with skill and full trust in myself, and the little pockets of heaven where the small unique waterfalls flowed into the larger more powerful waterfalls to the beautiful gorges below.  Sure, I came away with scratches, bumps and bruises.  More importantly though, I came away with a new- found understanding of myself, my connection to Spirit, and a new confidence that I am capable of anything with the Universe on my side. So I ask you, do you travel the path of safety? The path of comfort? The path of ease? The path that is most traveled and ‘marked out in your life?’ Or do you make your own path in life, travel the path less chosen, less comfortable, less popular? The path that awakens your inner being, knowing that you are here this lifetime to live a more conscious life? It’s your journey, the paths are yours to choose. Views:]]>