We must Read the Signs

I read an interesting passage in a book written by Paulo Coelho “The Witch of Portobello” (there were so many great points I lost count) and it spoke to the human desire to look for the perfect teacher (or book) but though the teachings may be divine, the teachers are human and imperfect which often is a stumbling block for many of us. He went on to say to not confuse the teacher with the lesson, the ritual with the ecstasy, the transmitter of the symbol with the symbol itself. It is interesting that when we pray for guidance, we secretly want to be told what to do, rather than be given signs of the road we must travel. This book evoked a lot of different thoughts in me, reminded me the power of rituals, the power of being present, and the realization of how powerful each and everyone of us are, but we are afraid of our power.

Is it because when we accept our power we no longer have access to the excuses that we have used to justify our lot in life? Why do we not heed the voice of divine intelligence within us, that prompts us to do better, to do this or do that? We read and recite from interesting books we have read, sermons we have listened to, but do we take the gift of knowledge and first infuse our souls with it, so that emboldens us to show up differently, so that in that awaken state we no longer hold the world responsible for our well-being? I admit that for me it is a daily effort to remind myself of who I wish to be, how I wish to show up, for when I forget, old patterns of judgement, envy and mistrust (to highlight a few) are eager to knock on my door.

The theme running through this book, which I related to, was the restlessness of the main character, whose journey through life was one of suffering and celebration, and the journey one must go one for personal growth, that involves doing things that are not always in sync with the world in the moment. At times the journey can seem desolate, and you may find that you are the only one who sees what you see, but that is where we are embolden with the energy that first put on our path, and the reason we overcame our suffering is the reason why we still stand.

Occasionally, like all of us, I forget the plot, get side tracked and then get a nudge from the universe to get back on track. Reading helps remind me of the reason I am on this path, and writing helps me clarify it to myself. As I write to anchor in the words I have read, they will be embedded in my mind to serve as constant reminders of the gifts from my teachers. I encourage you to read, then journal about what you read, so that the secrets and gifts you extract from the author will show up when you need them the most.

C. David Gilks Your Fellow Traveler