When Strive is the Problem

The 

FORCE
is with us

regardless
of our
direction.

(davidWELLENS, Direction, Spiritual Networks)

The ego is a psychological force that drives us places. Sometimes all the striving is a perfect opportunity to express ourselves creatively, and sometimes we are simply running away from our SELF, and that hurts! The trick of our spiritual journey is to recognize in which direction to head. Backwards, forwards, or just resting where we are. There is always a perfect response to life's demands that is associated with peace. Don't worry though, just as davidWELLENS reminds us, the FORCE is always with us, so even if we miss a few steps along the WAY, we always will be pointed in the right direction. 

I had this insight when I read "Romancing the Shadow" by Connie Zweig and Steve Wolf, as they described the case of a "successful" woman who sometimes in her forties woke up to the fact that all her life she had made her powerful - and sometimes overpowering - father as her role model, while sidelining her more artistically inclined and depressed mother, who crumbled under that masculine power. Needless to say, she did well professionally, but sometime along her journey she realized that she would never have children on her own and that made her quite upset. She had to teach herself to embrace her femininity, and managed to make friends with her mother late in life.

The girl who grew into a professionally successful woman followed all her life a path that she figured was her, only to find that she ran away from her SELF. She wanted to get places, and as she reached them she discovered that her heart was empty. Despite her best intentions, she ran away from her SELF by striving. Maybe some of us spiritual travelers fall into the same trap. We are running after the ideal of enlightenment. We want to be "there", not "here". Our society has primed us that way. If you want something, go and get it is our mantra.

There are times to strive, and there are times to let it be. You have to satisfy self, soul and SELF all at the same time. Go inside and listen to the quiet VOICE and ask for directions. Observe the signals that you are receiving from your environment. Once you know in which direction to go, peace is with you every step of the WAY.