Inquiry

I was just about to sign up for my final year of psychology classes at Naropa University. It was a gorgeous afternoon in the height of the summer energy that flows down from the Flatirons in Boulder and fills the city below. I had a few minutes before I met with my advisor, so I sat down against one of my favorite trees and basked in the moment of life that I had found myself in.

At the time I was reading a book called Courage and Contentment that is written by my Guru, Swami Chidvilasananda.  At some point, in the middle of my reading, I sat back full of awe and reverence.  This feeling that engulfed my being was not confined to the beauty of the present moment that I happened to find myself in.  It also flowed freely into the appreciation of the sheer genius of the teachings presented in the book -- integration of the truth within all of the traditions creating a powerful movement of unity within diversity. As I continued to sit there - the sun's light beating upon my face, the wind gently blowing its warm air through my hair, the stroke of deep devotion coursing through my body - I suddenly found myself becoming struck by a lightning bolt of inspiration. In a moment of deep communion between my external surroundings and my internal processes, a supreme inspiration opened itself to me, and I knew, without doubt, that I had to start my studies anew in the field of religion.

This is actually something that I had contemplated before, albeit extremely briefly.  It was an idea that had quickly passed by my awareness due to the extreme boredom that I found in projecting myself into that realm of study.  Now, however, my mind raced at the possibilities that were opening up before me.  First and foremost I began to think of spending more time in school when I was already so close to finishing.  This alone created imaginings of fearful failure and economic demise.  At the same time, I was feeling an intense rising of spirit within my deepest recesses.  It was a the feeling of seeing a path uncovered and knowing that to walk down it would mean uncertainty, adventure, and, most of all, fulfillment.  At that moment, I had received a command, as it were, to change my plans and move toward a future that I couldn't fathom with my conventional understanding. It didn't matter in the least, for my heart was filling with a passion for Religious Studies as the seconds began passing themselves.  True to those grace-filled moments that are born of deep inner inspiration, I had become open to a greater possibility of fully living at purpose.

While I still haven't fully made sense of the weight of that decision six years ago, I know that, actually, it doesn't matter. The seeds have been sown, and I am continuing to tend to the soil with care, diligence, and love.  What is of supreme value for me right now is the great knowing that I have followed my heart's yearning and inspiration to the extreme in the face of adversity (in this case, my mind's incessant worries over financial and timely hardship). And the bestowal of that great contentment born out of having the inner courage to follow my bliss, to use Campbell, is a jewel far more precious to me than the safety of my conventional mind.  May it always be so.

--

Ken Freeman

Community Leader

Integral Life, Inc.

Just came across to provide review to the answers. I am impressed with them, they are really motivational. I admit I was once gone to wrong directions, and I came back now to rebuild me own.

graphic design chicago