One of the ideas that has excited me over the last several years was looking at the various ways that different cultures strive to better understand themselves by better understanding their idea of divinity… or maybe that’s the other way around. Either way, every tradition has its “path” to understanding. While many traditions assume that their path is the one true path, from just the right vantage point, one can see that they are all actually the same unbroken path.
We may use different phraseology and terminology. We may primarily operate out of different stages of consciousness or with different world views. We may have different rituals and rites, but we are all still moving forward, however slowly it may seem, toward a better life for ourselves and the ones we love.
Because we are all on our own individual paths, our collective movement keeps the path unbroken and ever moving forward. For every one of us that realizes a little more reason, shares a little more love, cultivates a little more courage, emanates a little more peace, or embraces a little more joy, we move the entire species forward. Just by the roles we play in the world and the examples that we set by living consciously, we become the path that guides everyone else.
Regardless of the fear, anger, and shame that are exalted through the manufactured content that vies for our attention by glorifying train wrecks and dumpster fires, on a daily basis, millions of people all over the world turn off their devices, close their eyes, and seek the light within through prayer, meditation, mantras, and hope. Although these people all come from different cultures and traditions, although they speak different languages and adhere to different doctrines, and although their practices may never actually reach a state of perfection for the human race, their practices do make us more excellent. Just as practitioners find greater strength to deal with the challenges of everyday life when they implement their practices into their personal daily routine, the collective practice of these millions of people helps improve us all.
While we have come up with all sorts of ways to categorize and separate ourselves, for those who have eyes to see the bigger picture, the reality is that we are all One. In spite of the races we’ve established based on skin tone, geographical origins, and other imaginary lines we’ve cultivated over the years, we are still one human race on one planet. We all breathe the same air and are comprised of the same water that has given life to every living species throughout the history of the planet.
If you take time today to connect to your inner light, take a moment to offer gratitude for all of the other souls around the world who are doing it with you. Because as divisive as the world can sometimes seem as humans so often cling to the immaturity of competition rather than evolving into the collaborative mindset that is actually creating the progress we desire, it’s important to remember that we’re all on the same unbroken path. Many of us are stumbling, many of us are lost, and many do not know in which direction to turn, but ultimately, we are all in this together.
Enjoy every step and thank you for shining a light.
I also had to include this video by my nephew, Silas. He is a great inspiration for me, and I love how poignant his message was to what I was writing today.
