February 04- The Path with Heart
“BEFORE YOU EMBARK UPON A PATH ASK: DOES THIS PATH HAVE HEART? THE TROUBLE IS NOBODY ASKS THE QUESTION; AND WHEN A MAN FINALLY REALIZES THAT HE HAS TAKEN A PATH WITHOUT A HEART, THE PATH IS READY TO KILL HIM. AT THAT POINT VERY FEW MEN CAN STOP TO DELIBERATE AND LEAVE THE PATH. A PATH WITHOUT HEART IS NEVER ENJOYABLE. YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD EVEN TO TAKE IT. ON THE OTHER HAND, A PATH WITH HEART IS EASY; IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU WORK AT LIKING IT.
THE PATH WITHOUT A HEART WILL TURN AGAINST MEN AND DISTROY THEM. ” Don Juan
My friend Jeff Mosier with Blueground Undergrass told me we all find what we love and then we allow it to kill us. In my reasoning, the path with heart, the path with purpose and movement forward, is the least likely to entangle us and bring us down on our face in the mud of day to day life. If we’re convinced that what we are doing is right for us and is not harmful to those we love, it’s easy to continue to place our feet upon this trail.
The conundrum comes when we are not sure where to place our feet or if our path actually has the heart it once did. We get up one morning and the simple opening of the computer to work or write becomes instantly draining. Instead of enjoying a leisurely stroll down our life path, we become cautious of the stones, roots and holes determined to trip us up. Our once easy and indeed sweet way becomes tiresome and forlorn. We lose our direction, motivation and determination.
When we lose our direction, it does us much good to find a nice place to sit and stay silent and still for a bit. This is where I am personally at the moment. Sheltered beneath a big oak, waiting for things to settle, waiting for the clarity I know will come.
Sometimes the best way to get un-lost is to get off the path for awhile.
Alunatunes's Weblog 
Tammy,
I couln’t agree more with you that the path with heart is the path least likely to kill you! And, yes, sometimes we don’t quite know where to put our feet on the path. Often it is just a matter of having the courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other, even if you don’t understand where it is all leading. We humans want to control everything. Life will have none of that and Life reminds us that we are not actually in control of much on a regular basis.
Getting off the path and sitting quietly for a time is a great practice. It is not only R & R (in my terms, that’s reflection and recovery), but it gives Life an opening to touch the edges of our consciousness. Often, the way becomes clearer after that.
Thanks for a great post, Tammy!
Melanie