Stepping into Personal Freedom

‘It is better to live your destiny imperfectly than to imitate someone else’s life perfectly’ ~ The Bhagavad Gita

It took me a while to realize this. For many years, I thought I knew the path before me, modeled by my parents, friends, family and my community. And yet, the closer I followed that path, the more foreign it felt. Do you relate with this at all? I've learned that it's fairly common for most of us to 'follow in our father's footsteps,' (or whomever resonates with you as a role model), and we become blind to other ways of living and being because we haven't experienced anything other than what we know. There can be a lot of comfort by holding onto the familiar, and for many people, this brings them contentment and fulfillment in life.  But for me, something else ached inside me.

I always loved the line in Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken poem, 'and I took the one less traveled by.' It wasn't out of rebellious spirit, nor was it out of aiming for something seemingly more challenging. What allured me in this line was the hope, the uncertainty, the bravery, and yet the trust that 'way leads on to way,' that no matter which road taken, it could never be the wrong choice, because it would be MY choice.

As I started here, it took me some time to find my destiny, the path uniquely laid for ME. Having finally acknowledged that the road I was walking belonged to someone else, there was a freedom that emerged, and with it, the courage to redirect and step onto a different path. Following this path has sometimes left me feeling ungrounded, confused, doubtful. Though in fumbling along, imperfectly, I've reconnected deeply with my OWN sense of Self, become strong in ways I didn't know I could, and when I listened, the answers have always been there for me.

Walking our own path can feel lonely, especially if it deviates from the well-worn path we’ve come to know, and watch others follow with ease.   There is a bravery needed to step outside the norm and follow the path that is uniquely ours.  Along the way, with that same sense of hope, we become aware of others walking their paths, and we open to more flexibility, acceptance, and a desire to see others for who they are, looking past the imitations that they, too, have been bearing.  When we embrace the road that may feel less traveled, we come to walk through the world in alignment with our true nature, meeting fellow travelers making their own way, and just possibly serving as a beacon for others who have yet to find their way.  And then, the road suddenly opens with even more possibilities!

If you’re struggling to know your destiny, or perhaps feel you’ve been perfectly imitating someone else’s, I encourage you to pull over to the side, take a deep breath, and look at the road before you.  What might you see?  What different route might emerge with a little hope and trust, courage, and willingness to take an adventure?  And if you’re confidently on your path, feeling guided to exactly where you’re meant to be, OWN that, let your heart sing, move forward with purpose, and fulfill your destiny!  We are all here to uniquely be ourselves, and that is a true gift!  And once I came to realize this for myself, I began walking with far more freedom than I’d ever felt before!

By Jen Rizza, Founder of Newtown Wellness Collective, Reiki Master Teacher, Therapeutic Yoga Instructor, IAHC Certified Wellness Coach, spirited adventurer, courageous soul, promoter of personal freedom, beacon of hope (at least I hope so!)