Stop waiting for the road to rise

Of course we’d like the road to rise and the sun to shine on our peep’s as well as our own faces. And hell yeah- wind on my back, you say? Count me in! But life doesn’t work like that. The road does not rise up for you, or anybody else for that matter. In other words, the world rarely adjusts itself to make your journey easier. So, what to do in the face of this bitterly-cold-ice-water-to-the-face reality check? Accept this it IS what it is fact and be fully prepared to adapt. And the good news? You come completely equipped with everything you need to do so. A simple shift in perspective will help you get started.

I’ve come to see obstacles as tools to be embraced on our journey rather than barricades that need to be removed or avoided. Understanding that the road won’t rise up has awakened me to the realization that I am the only one that can do the rising. If you’re currently in an area of consciousness where you believe your outcomes are mainly dictated by the actions of others, or your behavior perpetually hinges on the circumstance or situation, you may find it difficult at this time to fathom the enormity of personal empowerment in what I just told you, so let me shout it out: You steer YOU. Period. If you’ve been doing a lot of fancy footwork (and yes, this is coming from the former fancy footwork queen!) to stay ahead of or to rearrange situations, circumstances, and people outside of yourself in an effort to manipulate the road into rising, what I just told you will make your day a lot easier. Look to yourself. Period.

Looking to yourself means understanding that once you’ve pinpointed what you want, you don’t wait for anything outside of yourself to “line itself up” before you go about pursuing it. And once pursuing, you don’t allow the externals to stop you on your trek simply because they show up. In other words, you don’t need to “clear out your cupboards” (I mean this in the symbolic sense only. As a minimalist, I’m always up for clearing clutter) of that which you are giving up just because you’ve decided to go without. If you’ve decided to go without and you are 100% sure of your commitment to do so, willingly and steadfastly and it’s a decision you arrived at only after much mindful thought and consideration, it won’t matter what is left in that cupboard, your reasons for not touching it will be greater than your temptation to do so. If, on the other hand, you are not solid in your decision for one reason or another, it won’t matter if you’ve cleaned out your cupboards- you will make it your business to get that thing you’re wanting. Not because you are weak or lack willpower, but simply because for reasons you may not be entirely conscious of, you were not 100% solid with your decision at this time.

In case you were wondering, my “there’s-nothing-wrong-with-keeping-your-cake-handy-so-you-know-you-could-eat-it-if-you-wanted-to” philosophy is not one that is for everybody (as always, you are responsible for finding your own answers) or readily agreed with by most, but it has been laid on my heart to stand by it steadfastly, even in light of criticism, for my own enlightenment as well as that in helping to serve others on their journey. My decision to abstain from alcohol has served to highlight a deeper understanding of how this road doesn’t rise adaptation aids in personal empowerment. We have never stopped having beer in our fridge, but having alcohol around has nothing to do with whether I drink it or not. It’s not that I can’t drink, it’s that I don’t drink. Deciphering between the two is key. Knowing I can have it is the external. Choosing not to have it is internal and requires going within to access the level of consciousness that aids you in your ability to stay focused on the “what” that you are actually seeking when you aspire to change ingrained behaviors- which you are fully capable of doing. It’s this capability that is reinforced to you every time you choose what you are actually seeking from within rather than substituting it with something external that you once thought you could get from the cupboard. Going within teaches you that whether your cupboards are bare or not, they’ll never hold what it is you’re actually looking for. And while we can “get” this fact, don’t expect to grasp it with ease and sail through the rest of your life on it. This one needs to be reinforced on a day-by-day basis- sometimes even second by second! But we’ve got what it takes to do so.