Written by Anthony Meindl
There is a Sanskrit word that’s very popular today called Dharma.
No! Not that 1990’s ABC sitcom, Dharma & Greg!
Dhamma-vinaya. Which is one’s path. One’s journey. One’s work.
There is a beautiful saying that if you’re searching for your path – you’re already on it!
If you’re questioning and searching, then things will reveal themselves to you as you engage in an open dialogue with yourself along your journey.
But that’s not what we do.
We live in a culture that is all about coveting other people’s journey, because it seems like their lives are more glamorous and exciting and thrilling and problem-free!
“I’ll have what she’s having!”
But you can’t. You have to work through your path.
And re-commit to it.
Sometimes, you look at your path and it’s hard and full of stones and potholes and it seems entirely uphill. You think you’re on the wrong road; that you should be on the Yellow Brick Road. Nope. All those obstacles on your path are part of what make your path yours. You just have to recommit to overcoming them.
I think because of the popularity of spirituality in our culture we can sometimes use it as an excuse to not get on with the work that we have to do on ourselves to get to our next level.
We use spirituality as an escape clause to get off our path. Sound familiar? Thinly veiled “spiritual” aphorisms that allow us to not be accountable or responsible.
“It’s not part of the plan.”
“If it were easier, it would’ve happened.”
“There’s something better in store for me.”
“It’s just not the path I’m supposed to be on.”
If those sayings give you solace and peace of heart in times of trouble. That’s OK, because at a deeper level, they are true. All things will work out. And different things reveal themselves to us when certain things don’t pan out as we intended.
But I’m talking about when we use those sayings as excuses to not go after our dreams, to not stay committed, to give up, to lose hope, to become passive.
When you hear yourself saying something that may pass as quasi-spirituality, listen for the second thing you hear which may be an excuse. Or rationalization. Or avoidance. If that’s the case there’s only one thing you can do.
Re-commit.
Re-commit to this glorious path that is your life. With the things it wants to teach you and show you and have you embrace. Especially the stuff you’re most scared of.
Re-commit to the inherent qualities within you of courage and perseverance and fortitude and the science of possibility that dwells everywhere in the moment.
Re-commit to the things that we’ve used fear or rationalization or excuses or postponement to avoid because we were actually scared but didn’t want to admit that to ourselves.
Your path will show you how to do these things. You just need to re-commit to it.
Anthony Meindl is an award-winning writer, producer, director and actor whose first feature screenplay, THE WONDER GIRLS, was the Grand Prize Winning Feature Screenplay in the Slamdance Film Festival Screenplay Competition in 2007. Prior to this accomplishment, Meindl was responsible for the production of an array of award-winning projects. His background in acting, training, and performance has afforded him the opportunity to create what has become a thriving artist community in Los Angeles.
Check out Anthony’s book, At Left Brain, Right Turn
