Chapter 21: The Essence of the Way

 

The all-encompassing nourishment of Virtue, is only in following the Way. 

As a phenomenon, the Way is a moonlit perspective, an indistinct flash,

Flashing indistinctly, peering through the moonlight, 

at its core there is an image;

Peering through the moonlight, flashing indistinctly, 

at its core there is something;

Profoundly twinkling from afar, 

at its core there is an essence – an essential invitation,

Its vital essence is the sweet serenade of self-actualization, 

at its core there is trust.

From the present to antiquity, its name has not departed, 

it was the course our forbearers followed.

How do I know it was this way for our forbearers?  Because of this.

The power and potency of virtue is abundant, all-encompassing, nourishing, and nurturing – like a newborn babe breastfeeding.  However, it is only in following the Way – in making or finding “our” Way – that we gain access to it.  Remember the Way is the course of action, leaders take – how we choose to see things and what we choose to do about that perspective – when we come to a crossroads in our lives.  Virtue is how we choose to see and what we choose to feel as we make that decision and follow, find, or make our Way on the path of our lives.  Our perspective – how we choose to see things, what we choose to focus on, what we choose to think and believe, determines how we feel.  Our feelings fuel and drive our actions, and our actions create our results, our experiences in this world, and ultimately our reality.  So, as Wayne W. Dyer (1940-2015) put it: "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

As a phenomenon – as a thing we do – Wayfinding is challenging.  The Way is not always clear or easy to find.  Making our Way through life is difficult at times.  We often make our Way in less than ideal circumstances and the trail is sometimes obscured from our vision or just beneath the surface.  We see it – not as a widely traveled thoroughfare in broad daylight but in darkness by the light of the moon.  We catch a glimpse of it here and there is a flash of light, inspiration, or perspective there – an insight or an intuitive gut feel to move in a certain direction.  Nevertheless, there is always a Way – a Way to get from where we are to where we want to be in our lives.  As mythologist Joseph Campbell (1908-1987) put it: "To find your own way is to follow your bliss."  The Way is, at its heart, a never-ending network of possibilities, an infinite nexus of openings and opportunities.  This image, this perspective, this reality is core to making our Way through this life – it is the very essence of the Way, the guiding strand – and therein lies the invitation: to take a step towards becoming the best version of ourselves and realizing the life of our dreams. 

At the core of our Wayfinding there needs to be a vision – an image of the life we want and how to get there and the trust and faith that there is a Way for us to get there – to realize it.  No matter how long we’ve felt lost, trapped, fractured, or stuck, no matter how long we’ve settled for less than, felt bereft of hope, or given up on our dreams, we can begin again and start over.  We can pick up the trail right where we are, as we are in this present moment, and get on our Way.  The Way softly, sweetly, whispers a song of hope and optimism.   We can get there!  We can make it!  We can embrace our place in the universe as rare and precious treasures!  We can rediscover our destinies!  We can find our Way and make our Way through the maze of life and mark the path, leave a string, to help others along the Way!  

The Way has always been there and there will ALWAYS be a Way – a Way forward, a Way upward, a Way out, or a Way through.  No obstacle, no challenge, no setback is permanent or insurmountable.  When we get clear on what we really want to experience and create in this world, we will find our Way.  Our ancestors found it and made their Way.  People are joyously finding and making their Way today – and so can we. Take a step. ~ DCB


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