How Might Stepping Off the "Predetermined Path" Impact Earth Alignment?

Which path calls to you?

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

I was born in the early 1970s in Ottawa, Canada. Like so many, we are immediately immersed in a largely predetermined set of life rules and expectations that we are expected to follow, and in my observation, few seem to question deeply.

I remember wondering why I had to go to this place called 'preschool' when I was not ready yet. As the years passed, my curious Spirit had to take a backseat as my life fully entered this predictable path, like so many before me. Looking much like school, school, school, school, finish school, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, retire.

I frequently wondered, "Who created this 40-hour work week?" I would not have predicted that working beyond 40 hours a week would become the norm in the future.

After the school and work path combo, at some point, another branch of the predesigned path enters. That is the buy-a-place-to-live path- often in a subdivision designed by developers to squeeze in as many homes as possible.

What about the trees, plants, wildlife, ravines, wetlands, soil, and microbiome? If we are lucky, a small park-like space is often maintained and manicured by noisy, polluting machines and weed-suppressing chemicals. 

I type this from a 1970s subdivision lined with homes. I imagined how this area looked before all the trees were cut down and the coyotes, rabbits, deer, snakes, birds and other life who called this home had it wiped from them. 

Along the predetermined path, instead of connecting with the Earth's alignment and reverence and the depth within our heart and Spirit—ideally, all combined—the Earth and our connection to her and ourselves become more distant. 

Food is now bought mainly in a store, and toxic chemicals used to clean our indoor environments have become the norm; in the blur of our day-to-day lives, we may have time to briefly connect with the Earth and our inner longings by going for a walk at lunch. 

Regard, care and reverent connection with her became more distant, less important in the sea of everything we were supposed to do. Money, career, getting ahead, success, convenience, and technology became the norm, and again, our connection wanes. 

In this model, we seek everything we need on the outside, running and staying on the predestined treadmill, buying more stuff, and buying the latest and newest stuff.

Fortunately, other paths are available to us and for us to create! 

I was listening to a YouTube video with Vicki Robin. She beautifully makes the distinction between jobs and work, saying:

"Jobs are doing something that is someone else's agenda, usually that is time-limited. Your true work comes from yourself and your own, creating your own philosophy base, your own caring and love, your heart, not your mind. It notices what is needed."

She continues: 

"Your work is who you are and is nonstop self-expression. Anything you do comes from yourself, your own sense of what you care about. It's who you are, what you think is important in life, and your contribution."

I deeply resonated with this, as I could never find meaning in someone else's agenda and will never fit into a predictable, predesigned and predetermined path. Do you feel this way, too? From my perspective, it has made a dire mess of this planet in countless and immeasurable ways, such as (but certainly not limited to): 

• Keeping people consuming, believing they need stuff and the latest stuff.

• Reliance on the outside for our needs.

• Harmful and unsustainable farming and mining of the Earth's resources. 

• Dominating instead of communing with and elevating. 

• A monetary and financial system designed to keep us in this perpetual loop.

• Extraction from the depths of the Earth to heat our inner spaces and provide power.

I would love to see entitlement, greed, disregard, and domination as a thing of the past! 

Treadmill living also keeps us from deeply connecting with one another.

We need to ask ourselves what is truly important!

I learned during a 3-week Outward Bound course in 1991, where we were immersed in nature, with no input from the outside, how little we actually need to be happy and fulfilled. It was the most clear and whole I have felt. Re-emerging from there and back into the predetermined path resulted in anxiety and depression.

For me, it's alignment with this awe-inspiring, wonderous, fascinating planet that gives us life and to follow our hearts and the path we are here to unfold and create and break free of the predetermined and expected (by so many) path. For me, the essence of life stems from a deep Earth and Spirit connection and a deep, meaningful connection with others.

I am beyond grateful for ALL the way showers and those committed to an Earth-aligned, whole, and inclusive path! I honour you on this Earth Day and every day!  

Where has your unique path and expression landed you? 

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Thank you for reading. I welcome your comments.

www.forestpath.ca