Staying on the Path

"Listen to simplicity. Its gentle voice has much to say." ~ Susan Larison Danz

Every once in a while, we think perhaps we are headed in a particular new direction.  Then, all of a sudden, something happens to shift it.  It may shift it slightly.  It may shift it dramatically.  The key question in the process is:  Are we listening all along the way?

This happened to me today, with something I had tentatively planned (unrelated to my work), and it sure seemed like things were heading that way, but then I felt things begin to change, and as I listened and aligned with how this felt, I realized this particular change in direction was feeling less likely, and less necessary.  And circumstances became stronger, positively supporting the current path. 

And I realized:  All is well.

 

Forest path photo by Susan Larison Danz. 

Courage and Clarity

"So is the danger a danger still; so is the fear worse." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Listen to today's broadcast of The Frontier Beyond Fear program here, now available in the archive:  Courage and Clarity

How do we work with our fears so we can find greater clarity?  We reflect on why this is so very important for our unfolding paths.  When we allow our fears to dominate our thoughts and decisions, not only is life unpleasant - we are unable to make clear, productive and authentic choices.  Why is Spirituality at the Center of finding our way?  It has everything to do with Clarity.  But it will ask something from us:  Courage - even as Spirituality is our greatest Resource in finding it.  What greater Resource could we have than our awareness of and conscious relationship with the omnipresent Divine?  Once we discover expansive, open, honest and authentic routes to Clarity, we will also find within us the Courage to freely explore our paths forward. 

A brief passage on fear and exploration written by Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1837 is shared during the program.

 

 

 

Trust and Fear

"It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves." ~ Henry David Thoreau

Listen to today's program on The Frontier Beyond Fear broadcast:  Trust and Fear: Navigating with Wisdom

I honestly explore how Spirituality can provide us with the Trust and Wisdom we need to make solid choices when confronting fear. Not only will we make better choices going forward, we will be comfortable with those choices. If you feel discomfort with a choice, it's time to look at it more deeply.

 

Whether on this day, you are celebrating the first day of Spring or of Autumn, today is an excellent day to consult your inner compass. We make imperfect choices all the time, as this is human, but being mindful of our unhealthy relationship with fear can make all the difference.

 

We also listen to wisdom from Henry David Thoreau's Walden, some deeply profound words to guide us on our paths forward. 

Blossoms by the Bridge photo by Susan Larison Danz.

 

 

Wide Open Spaces

"She needs wide open spaces

room to make her big mistakes." 

~ The Dixie Chicks

This song has been on my mind ever since I interviewed Larry Seyer last week, a 9-time Grammy award-winning producer, engineer and musician who played a pivotal role in launching The Dixie Chicks.  I hadn't thought about the song in a long while, an old favorite.  It is echoed even more by my current surroundings, on a visit to the wide open spaces of my original home in
Colorado.

Room to make big mistakes doesn't necessarily imply "big mistakes" are inevitable.  In fact, I would suggest that it is the mistakes and apparent missteps which can often open up the spaces even more.  It all depends on our response.  We can close down or we can open up.  And sometimes it can even be a combination of the two.

There is a tendency in life to seek to fill a wide open space.  I see it symbolically all around me, as the much smaller Denver I remember from my youth sprawls out upon the plains.  Sometimes when a wide open space is in front of us, it is best to pause, take a deep breath, and simply experience the wonder of Wide Open.  We will know soon enough just what space it is we are called to occupy next...