Embrace the Road Less Traveled.
““If it feels safe, it’s probably the wrong path.””
A few years ago, during a conversation with a wise spiritual mentor, I shared my struggles with doubt regarding a transition I was about to make. I asked, “Is this typical of people who feel strongly drawn to move in a specific direction – that they begin to distrust their own discernment?”
He responded that it was very common and that, in fact, he would be concerned if I didn’t experience some self-questioning along the way. I was relieved. He added that, with any call, something is always asked of us, and that may include giving something up.
This can be a fear-producing situation for many people. It was for me. If you are someone shifting to an expanded level of spiritual independence, re-examining what you believe or value, stepping into a role requiring courage or sacrifice, or faced with any other kind of transition in your life, this may be true of you too.
My conversation with the mentor inspired me to dust the cobwebs off a favorite book I hadn’t referenced in almost two decades: Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life (Gregg Levoy). I discovered a few highlighted quotes that seemed relevant at this new crossroads.
This one especially caught my attention, because it reinforced what my mentor had said: “One of the grave difficulties in following a call is that it may feel utterly and hopelessly at odds with whatever we’re trying to conserve, and this is always a moment of crisis, …meaning that a call is asking us to separate from something.”
What was I trying to conserve? After some time, I concluded it was my sense of normalcy and emotional safety — the status quo of my life.
And what was I being asked to relinquish? What came to mind first were some long held limiting beliefs, my fear of vulnerability, and my occasional doubts about the benevolence of something larger at work in my life.
Levoy states that this moment of crisis naturally brings with it an internal resistance to the change that a transition or calling requires. He reminds us, however, that resistance is a good omen.
Resistance means that you’re closing in on something important, something essential for your soul’s work in the world, something worth doing or being.
Post Author: Anna Cuyler, Certified Spiritual Director