“Am I On The Right Path?”
The past few weeks as I am enjoying the slow pace of summer and exploring the offerings of Southern California, I have made it a point to actively pursue the role of being a student. I have attended everything from lectures and conferences to “circles of lights” and “salons” (smaller gatherings in people’s living rooms). I have listened to doctors, scientists, authors, mediums, and trans-channelers and watched as they interacted with their respective audiences. Although without question I have gained pearls of wisdom from each speaker, what I found most fascinating came not from the presenters but from the audience. What struck me most was that no matter what the event or the demographic of the participants, the concern I heard being voiced over and over again boiled down to one question: “Am I on the right path?” Although the question may have varied in wording a bit and for some it was area-specific such as, “Am I on the right path in regard to my career, my relationship, my desire to relocate or take some sort of action,” it all resulted in this need for reassurance or outside affirmation.
For me this was so interesting because it is our shadow that causes us to not trust ourselves and to look outside ourselves for validation. It is our shadow that causes the incessant internal chatter that has us doubt and question not only our abilities but also our own inner knowing of what we desire or are capable of. It is our shadow that fuels our fears, feeds our voice of uncertainty, and fills us with disbelief, distrust, and dismay. It is our shadow that keeps us frozen and stuck in that place of confusion. Bottom line, it is our shadow that keeps us forever questioning “Am I on the right path?” instead of actually taking action along any particular path!
As Debbie Ford writes in her book The Right Questions, “Every important choice we make is being guided by one of two places: either it is an act of faith or it is an act of fear. Fear keeps us rooted in the past. Our fears tell us to play small and stay safe. Fear prevents us from moving outside our story or our comfort zone.” It’s nearly impossible to achieve our highest vision for our lives or to commit to a particular path as long as we are being driven by our fears, shadows, and limiting beliefs.
Expanding upon this discussion of faith versus fear, Debbie writes, “When we choose from faith, we open the door to a new future. New avenues and routes suddenly appear that we never saw before. When we are grounded in faith, we have the courage to travel to new destinations. When we make choices that are rooted in faith, we trust that there is a power, an unseen force, that is guiding us. Faith invites us to believe in something we cannot see, feel or know.”
When you choose faith, there really is no “right” or “wrong” path. You are filled with the knowing that no matter what the path, it is there to deliver you the lesson, awareness, or experience that your soul needs for its highest evolution. When you trust that everything is as it should be, then you no longer need to fear moving forward. Yes, you can be discerning and look inside to see what feels like it is in alignment with your deepest truth, grandest desires, or the whispering of your soul, but you no longer need to be paralyzed by getting it right or making the perfect choice because you are grounded in the knowing that each path and each decision will ultimately be exactly as it should be and provide you with an opportunity to grow and evolve. So although I do love being the student and learning from these amazing teachers and guides, when it comes to answering the question “Am I on the right path?” I know that faith is the friend that will lead you inside and to trust that there is no better expert on answering that question for you than you!
Transformational Action Steps
(1) Make a list of the most significant times in your life when you questioned, doubted or asked yourself, “Am I on the right path?”
(2) Pick two of these situations to work with. For each situation:
– What did your voice of fear say and how did your shadows and limiting beliefs lead you to question that path, and keep you frozen and unable to commit to any path?
– How can you now see that the path you ultimately pursued was exactly as it should be?
(3) Identify an area in your life that you are currently questioning, “Am I on the right path?”
(4) Journal about what your voice of fear, shadows, limiting beliefs, and doubt say.
(5) Now, to truly embrace this larger reality that everything happens for a reason so there ultimately is no “right” or “wrong” path, go inside and ask yourself, “If I did know the ‘right’ path for me in this situation or circumstance, what would it be?”
(6) Trust what you hear and create an action plan or structure to take action based on this guidance.
