Our paths

[CircadiamRythym]

How do we know if were on our intended path and how do we know when were just plain screwing up?

I guess Im feeling lost again. My spiritual process seems like it takes the two steps forward, one step back approach. Driven as hell at times (inwardly & outwardly), utterly drained and hopeless at others. These past few days Ive been a wreck. Feel like Ive made some inner progress but I can barely function in 'the real world'. Patience, faith and bold decisions were a lot easier a few years ago when I was in my early twenties and late teens, Im 25 now and very behind the societal expectation for some one my age and that stress is getting to me. No house, no car, don't have a big personality, not much money, a few college credits but no degree, no steady job, job hopping, not very many marketable skills etc.

Itd be a lot easier for me to do this kind of inner work if, lets say, I lived on my own or had $10,000 dollars in the bank. Then again, maybe that stress/turmoil is part of the process...But what ever the case may be, I cant shake the feeling that Im spending my youth and not investing it for any kind of worldly comfort/success which might have some nasty consequences for me down the line.

Maybe college isn't for me. Maybe Im supposed to job hop. Maybe Im meant to carve my own path. But what if Im not. What if its my fault because I cant get my self to buckle down and conform?

Lol. This was supposed to be a 1 or 2 sentence question but I kind of went on a little bit of a rant...so to bring this back to the original point...

How do we know when were 'following my own path'? And how do we know were not just making bad decisions and screwing up our futures?

Part of me feels like I cant keep assuming this is all just a test of faith because Im worried one day I may wake up in a situation with a lot of regrets. :confused:

[Mr Interesting]

Let's take me for instance and left school with minimum cert and got a job as a furniture apprentice... that sucked bigtime 'cause you only got to the interesting stuff at the end so blew that and went on regular wages and that sucked too so went on welfare and partied for about 18 years... but in amongst that I knew tools were important so whenever I got money I bought tools and learned how to use them. Around 1987 I ended up with 4 guys working for me doing landscaping 'cause I enjoyed it and picked up the new skills fast but then got blown out by the stockmarket crash and lost everything... well not everything but pretty much ten years hard work gone. Then I got into art and ended up with my own warehouse and shop in the high street and again got blown out of the water but this time it was because the money was too easy and my working class ethics kinda did battle within me. Still lost everything though.

So I've lost everything twice and you know what I've learned? I've learned doing risky things and having fun while doing it is definitely worth loosing everything. Inner development, that happens anyways regardless of what's going on in the world maybe even to the extent the more you risk the more you develop.

All that stuff doesn't actually matter and having lots or not much isn't actually much different and even less comparative to actually doing something you enjoy so basically just dive in and see what happens. Don't worry if the water hot or cold which is what it looks like from here... as in toes in the water 'is it too cold, is it not warm enough...' just jump in otherwise you'll suddenly be 65 and wonder where all the time went.

Good luck!

[Mr Interesting]

oops, forgot the question.

How do you know when you're following your path? When it's too late to get off it.

[Electric_Dreams]

You will find your path when you relax and go with the flow. Only do things that feel right to you. You are the best guide to your own path, trust your instincts.
It seems you've lost a bit of confidence in your ability to make the right choices for yourself...Take time out to assess all of the circumstances in your life to see which you feel happy about and which you dont. Dont worry too much about the long distant future as circumstances change all the time, and planning it all out too early in advance will throw you off balance everytime something doesnt fit with your set plan.
As for college, if you're studying something that you enjoy and you're good at, then use that as your foundation point to work around...If you're studying something that you find difficult or you're only studying it with the hopes of a well paid career just for securities sake and its not for 1 of your top 5 dream jobs, then reevaluate your study and career options to find something more satisfying to you...Its better to put that right before possibly wasting any more time on a career you're not going to be happy in.
Money obviously makes life easier living in todays society, and the stress of money worries hinders personalgrowth...but once you've tweaked your sense of direction in life, you will be so much happier and less stressed, and thats when everything else will fall into place for you��

[yeshee camar]

i hug on to say that our 'path got us dawns recoveree bark.'

that a soulja pathed signing on, 'bequicking turf for iron i good' 'mentally'd fabricated step on on feels and slacks.'









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[Jyotir]

Hi CircadiamRythym,

It's impossible not to be on 'your path'.

And so-called 'bad decisions' turn out to be good learning experiences.

We all begin in ignorance proceeding towards the Light in unique ways.

It's that promise, that incremental discovery which is supported fully, compassionately and forgivingly - continuously - all along the Way, every step of it.

Just recognizing that and being grateful for it allows for another perspective which sees the same events more clearly...and increasingly so - also importantly giving increasing access to it.

That is when possibility becomes seen as inevitable...and that is what you are searching for.

~ J

P.S. don't worry so much about the 'details'. Get the right general orientation and let the Universe or God work out the details. Otherwise the worry becomes the general orientation which is counter-productive in terms of positive aspiration.

[Rokon]

How do we know if were on our intended path and how do we know when were just plain screwing up?

Most people have no idea and never have. There is no memo, no tattoo that tells us what our path is. We make these things up as we go along imo. The people that do feel good about "hitting their path" usually have their security and survival needs in order and are likely not spending their waking hours concerned with survival issues.

Also there appear to be many "deterministic" issues such as karma, past lives, spirit agreements, messed up DNA (tampering), the choices of others altering your own possible tangents. The search for a "singular" purpose or path is elusive and complicated. I guess I'm saying we're all in the same boat. :smile:

[Lorelyen]

How do we know if were on our intended path and how do we know when were just plain screwing up?
Unfortunately only you can decide that - when you realise your progress toward your spiritual goal is either impeded or goes way off track. One of the problems is deciding when it is off track rather than an obstacle in your path that has to be surmounted (like, you have to face some disturbing trait about yourself and deal with it to move on).

Itd be a lot easier for me to do this kind of inner work if, lets say, I lived on my own or had $10,000 dollars in the bank. Then again, maybe that stress/turmoil is part of the process...But what ever the case may be, I cant shake the feeling that Im spending my youth and not investing it for any kind of worldly comfort/success which might have some nasty consequences for me down the line.It depends what you're looking for from "life". Certainly you have control when you live on your own and have a fund should something go wrong. You can pace yourself. That fund is essential if you haven't decided about your future yet. In my case I wanted to go wherever the future took me, so earlier employment was about pulling enough money to support myself and allow me to pick up whatever I would. It takes some discipline - saving up, getting to a point where you can be relatively independent. Generally people need to work to survive. They then have to decide how to dispose of income they don't save. Once you break out of the robotic consumerist system you're more about to distinguish between what you need and don't.

Is there no profession, no trade that you'd like to follow? No interests like art or music you'd need to finance?

Maybe college isn't for me. Maybe Im supposed to job hop. Maybe Im meant to carve my own path. But what if Im not. What if its my fault because I cant get my self to buckle down and conform? Again only you can answer this. Regardless of one's spiritual aspirations one still has to survive and this needs one's feet on the ground.

How do we know when were 'following my own path'? And how do we know were not just making bad decisions and screwing up our futures?Are you on your path - any path - or are you still finding out/deciding? What prompts you to think you are on a spiritual path? What led you to make the choices you have so far?

....

[yeshee camar]

i just q to say on by wants to pick everything up as legitimate roads like an legitimate i is gonna depend forward by a legitimate my owns supposed tos 'like that a we're happy' with our grinch or loving or floaters reson mid regularing okey okay'd pass-on bys. but that we enjoy ours ours as phat 'that our welcome'd got good - da trumpet - living gracias. that time is now to enjoy what we are come. that we get nice then its over. that we get nice then its over. that we get nice then its over.'




hello everybody.
:biggrin:

:biggrin:

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[Lucyan28]

Hi sweetie, we will always make good decisions and bad decisions as well, but I'll tell you the secret, all good and bad are part of our path, that is unavoidable.

Also the path is not about reaching any specific place, it is about walking.

Keep swimming !