Having performed Martial Arts, Yoga, QiGong, being a Poet, an Artist and from several more angles: my perspective is that the goal of these practices focuses down to...
"Acceptance"It's possible to find countless paths, count hundreds of practices, religious rites, mantras, and so much more where people are seeking to attain the highest spiritual goals: which simplifies down as the achievement of acceptance. Yet acceptance can be easily attained without having to journey down any of these routes.
So once discovering acceptance: where does one go?
:) ! Now this is a fun question! As a person can now take the time to explore these and other paths. Each path, while leading to the singular and same spot of acceptance: each path offers unique and interesting perspectives of life and also abilities to explore and play with.
So while I might have discovered acceptance so long ago, that doesn't mean I have stopped wandering!
I still practice yoga, as my body enjoys becoming more limber and strong. I dance within qi-gong, to be bright and energetic, I write as it clarifies my visions, I practice various Taoist Consciousness exercises to shape my life. Along the way discovering how to do things others would label impossible, knowing along other ways are new wonders and experiences to try.
The point?
Well while a final goal of acceptance exists: In reality the journey and wanderings of life are limitless, so enjoy as you explore.
It's easy for me to write this and be positive. The flip side of this examination isn't so easy: when unable to accept oneself or answers around you. What is the right path for solutions, for salvation, for healing, for peace? For a person stuck in despair, lost in social mazes or suffering: the point of view I teach will often seem silly, simplistic or in fact impossible to reach.
While all paths root into acceptance, at times it's fine to let go of that destination and to just focus on the path of life itself. Take the time to chase down a skill, to polish a talent, to learn music or spend time just boxing life about.
The positive aspect being: no matter which path choosen, it does lead all to the same place. So don't worry about taking the wrong path, or learning the wrong lessons. Just learn, just embrace it as it happens. It all does come together upon its own.
Just don't be afraid to live, to get hurt , to help others, to do everything it is to be human, since that includes the bad with the good. Then one day it does click all together.
I am writing this post for several people now. One for Shari who I was comparing notes with and sharing the revelation that all the practices really have the same goal, and the difference of the practices are the skills developed along the path. The trap being: a person concentrating on learning the skills to the point of missing the ultimate goal of acceptance. The skills are fun and important but are of secondary concern for purpose of centering one's life.
I am also writing this for a few people experiencing midlife crisis and asking me for some help in the transformation.
It's important here for those experiencing midlife crisis, not to spiritually abort themselves, to be brave enough to embrace the pain and the changes in order to transform. Birth is not easy and it comes with pain. Within the pain, a person will call out for help, does seek a path to minimize the suffering the change is causing and we all will make many mistakes. In fact the ego does this to trick a person into not changing. The fact is: it takes acceptance and embracing the pain of the change to drive the change to completion to fulfillment. When complete a person knows from the final acceptance they have of the new form their life takes.
The point again: the path taken in the midlife transformation is actually irrelevant,
provided you complete the journey. The final destination is true self and acceptance of that state of self.
To those experiencing mid life change... don't worry about focusing upon what you were, what others want, what you want or even the problems of being incomplete now. Just live the transformation as your path. The whole process will sort itself and resolves upon the acceptance of the change.
Where acceptance can never never be forced but rather occurs naturally upon completion. This point is impossible to teach directly,
(how can you teach something which is personally undefinable until after the change).My advice is:
Initially focus in on many different practices or whims that come along with midlife crisis. Don't focus on the suffering aspects of the change, focus in upon the more fun aspects of the change which give you energy to try new practices. Ride it through with respect of others (respect for others is important, otherwise you leave too many pissed off people in your wake that you might have to deal with later, while it's impossible to avoid pissing off everyone, you can limit the damage). Once you let go, then it becomes possible to change and be yourself. might as well learn a few skills along the trip, it won't hurt (much) and it makes the post change years much more fun with your new found skills.
Peace
