Friday, May 21, 2010

No Such Thing as a Dead End on the Spiritual Path

My teacher, Dr. Bruni, used to always say, "There are no mistakes, only lessons." I believe that everything happens for a reason. All the twists and turns along life's path can sometimes seem confusing and downright random. Yet, I truly believe that there is always meaning and value in what happens to us. We have the opportunity to change, grow and develop through all that happens to us.

In my work as a coach and spiritual counselor I've often heard people lament 'wasted time' and missed opportunities. I do not believe in the concept of 'wasted time.' There are always lessons available to us, no matter what we've done, or not done.

There is no such thing as 'wasted time' or a 'dead end' on the spiritual path. Each and every experience offers us some morsel of learning or development. Even time spent seemingly 'stuck' has value. We may not be able to see it right away. In fact, we may never consciously know why something had to happen to us. That doesn't mean it didn't have value or meaning. Many times, things that happen in our lives set off processes, inside and out, that alter the future in major ways.

Appearances can be deceiving. No matter what is happening, we have an opportunity to learn from it and grow from it. We have the ability to recover from anything that happens to us. We can always change our direction and make a new choice. It is never too late.

Dead end signs don't exist on the spiritual path. Detours are part of the plan. Keep on walking!