Travelling through life’s twists
From ancient mythology and early religious traditions to modern psychology and popular culture, travelling has not only touched our imagination, but also provided the language for meditation on life.
Similarly, my constant search for the right way on my recent pilgrimage in Italy made me philosophical as I started to see parallels between life as a journey and my daily quest for the next village: I strove to stick to the map, but somehow always ended up taking a wrong turn and seeking a new path to my destination.
As a result, I reflected on the lessons I was being taught on how to walk my way, the tangible route beneath my feet as well as the more elusive life path. There were 5 main teachings:
- Be honest with yourself: We don’t like turning back, so it takes time and courage to admit we have taken the wrong turn. If a U-turn is feasible – often it isn’t – simply accept your fate and walk back a few miles.
- Pause when lost: When in the back of beyond, pause. Come to a halt. Try to find a vantage point. Climb up somewhere to get a perspective. You will soon see an almost mathematical pattern, a logic to that labyrinth of narrow trails once the bird’s eye view is adopted.
- Pay attention: Straight roads and familiar places are easy to navigate, yet we need to be careful at crossroads and unrecognisable terrains. The turning we choose will inform the rest of our endeavour.
- Seek help: Assistance is needed when “the going gets tough”: When there are steep climbs, when our vision is obscured in an overgrown valley or when the route is not signposted because it is not frequented. We will probably welcome some reassurance on long, seemingly endless roads too. It is good to know they will eventually come to an end. Or at times, you might accept an offered ride. It is alright to be carried now and then.
- Chill: And lastly, the most obvious and the most neglected commandment: Stop and lie on the grass, gaze at the sky, take breaks. Don’t hold your breath until you reach the finish line. You will make it to your goal and understand that it was all along only an excuse for the journey, that the way was our ‘how’, and that matters as much as the ‘what’, if not more.
