A personal story..
For as long as I can remember, I always had this inner knowing, an inner mantra that called to me: “Change the world for the better.” Those were the words that perfectly captured my sense of purpose. By the time high school graduation was looming, I felt lost and confused. I was uncertain about which direction I wanted to go. It was like standing at the end of a path that dead-ended in a grove of trees, up to me to choose the direction and begin carving out a path for myself to follow.
By divine urging, I found myself in an Army recruiting office. At the time, I thought I was there to get the pesky recruiter off my back and have him delete my information from his call roster after his incessant bugging. The moment I walked through that door, a light came over me, a deep knowing. Without reason, understanding, or logic to back it up, I knew that the Army was my path—for now. I knew it was where I was supposed to be for a time, and my path would evolve and change when the time came. I knew I wasn’t meant to retire from it, but when the time to leave was, was an unknown.
After 11 years, the calling began again, but by then I had gotten used to the demands, obligations, and misplaced loyalty to the Army. I had ideas and plans that I wanted to explore, trying to carve a path from stone, only armed with a butter knife. The universe, as always, had other plans for me, though. Despite knowing that I wasn’t meant to stay in the Army until retirement, I had resisted the signs that it was time to move on.
All of my old karmic choices had culminated in massive inner resistance to step off the path before me and carve out a new one again. The obligation, victimization, stubbornness, resistance to release control, and so much more, all pushed me to make choices that resisted the signs from the universe. Though the inner whispers came, trying to guide me back to my purpose and take me onto another path, my stubbornness and need to blame kept me from listening.
For the next three years, the universe kept upping the ante, throwing all of the inconveniences, wild, crazy, and impossible situations at me, trying to push me to get out of the Army. I was so blinded by the need to blame and persevere that I missed the message that was embedded within. It wasn’t until I was put in an impossible situation, with no way to win, that I finally surrendered and heeded the call.
A year later, I was able to reflect on that tumultuous time in my life and all of the wild, crazy situations I kept finding myself in. At the time, I felt like the victim, and the Army personified was attacking me for no reason. It wasn’t until I reserved myself and stopped fighting that I was able to see that it was just my true life purpose calling me to a new path that was opening. I had become so conditioned to fight, struggle, and sacrifice that I pushed back against it, only to be met with even steeper walls to climb.
When life seems to throw up wall after wall, instead of pushing forward and trying to break them down one by one, step back, look around, and listen inside. It just might be your sign to take a new path, make new choices, and let go of the old conditioned choices and behaviors that are telling you to break through the walls. When we release the need to blame, we can see things much clearer, and in turn, find our purpose and our next phase of exploration that is trying to unfold.
It’s easy for us to turn to blame and avoid taking responsibility for our choices, but when we do that, we give our power to the very thing we are trying to blame and surrender our choices and our opportunities to experience something different. It took me a while before I was able to see that for myself, and I hope that sharing this story will help you release the need to blame and step into your purpose that keeps calling you forward.
It’s time to forge new paths through the forest, and while it can be scary and unnerving, I’m here to support you and guide you through the next phase of your journey. Schedule a call today to unlock your purpose and begin creating a path toward the life you only dared to dream of.