Some people describe living as walking a path. I really like this metaphor! Because that’s what living life feels like to me. I’m walking my path and you’re walking your path in life. Sometimes we walk alone and sometimes we walk together. Being on a journey is also used sometimes to describe the same thing. I like it that this allows us to define ourselves as travelers in life.
One of my favourite things to be is a fellow traveler. I genuinely believe that I can be of service in this world by walking together with people on our paths in life. I have felt many times in my life how magical it can feel to truly meet another person. And by truly I mean sharing our thoughts and feelings in an open and honest way. This enriches me tremendously! And of course I really like to believe that by being grounded, open and honest I can enrich someone else’s life too.
It is my intention to grow into my fellow traveler-suit to find out if I can be of service in this way also professionally. I’m excited to write that I’m currently enrolled in a training that is a big step towards this intention. So right now I regularly travel around Europe to meet with fellow students while we are being taught and guided by world-renowned therapists in the art of working with people. I don’t know yet exactly which exact form this will take for me, so to be continued on that part…
The word compassion comes to mind when writing about us being fellow travelers in life. The writer, theologian and mystic Thomas Merton said:
Compassion is the keen awareness of the interdependence of all things.
I am not an island, standing alone in this world. I believe that I am connected to you who is reading this and also to all other people on earth who are walking their paths, trying to live their best lives. Which makes me wonder: if we aren’t willing to reach out and and show compassion for other people on their paths in life, where does that leave us in the end? It’s not a place I wish to travel. The Dalai Lama said:
Compassion is the wish to see others free from suffering.
I think none of us can live through life without also knowing what suffering is about. I therefore believe that an important part of my purpose in life is to show compassion to other people. And a really good start for me to show compassion is by being grounded, open and honest and from this space walk with other people on our paths in life. It reminds me of the saying:
Be kind. Everyone’s fighting their own secret battle.
Soon I will fly to Italy for the next module of my training and meet up with my fellow 40 travelers from 19 different countries. How cool is that?! I’m loving my path in life right now. Thank you for walking with me by reading this blog!
Photo: Khachik Simonian – unsplash.com