I recall being at a discussion group years ago, discussing the concept of God and one of the participants was a Hebrew scholar. She had brought up the observation that in the Hebrew bible, every time the Jews settled down, bad things happened. This made me think about The Storyteller by Mario Vargas Llosa and how the concept of walking related to Machiguenga ways of life. If I recall correctly, the tradition for them was to keep walking. When they stopped, bad things happened to them too.
What does walking do for one metaphorically? Staying dynamic certainly doesn’t allow for the cob webs to form I can say that. Maybe walking is life. Maybe people need to keep moving in their lives to keep from getting sedentary. I know I was sedentary for a while. I graduated college and was kind of burned out. I needed a break from academia so I decided to work for a while and pay off loans while I figured out what it was I wanted to do next. I did work and got comfortable but I really didn’t keep my inertia going. After a while I found that I really didn’t know what to do next so I stayed put in my working world where it was safe and easy to make a living.
What I found was a lifestyle not healthy for me. Not using the gifts I have or affecting people like I can was pretty depressing. Finally I got to the point where I didn’t know where the passion went or how to get it back. I really lost myself there for a while, just numb in the world. Luckily I’m the type of person that can’t ignore the inner call and was able to start finding those fires again. I’m able to get up and walk again so to speak. I’ve got motion and I’m walking again, may not have the greatest sense of direction yet but I’m back. Of course it took the help of a good guide, I hope you find one of those along the way. It really helps…
I think I’ve learned that this is not a slow process. It didn’t happen overnight that I got comfortable in my life and sat idle. It takes a whole lot of bribes from the universe at just the right times to draw you in. I’ve also learned that fear can slow you down too. It certainly has the ability to keep you at a standstill and make it appear difficult to march forward. But this too can be overcome and really is just a paper thin barrier that skews the perception. Once you fight through it, there really isn’t much holding you back. Except your own self.
Don’t fall prey to your own fear. Keep moving, keep walking and make sure you keep the fires of passion lit somewhere. You can always come back, but there is so much potential you have. Just use it. People will love you for it!