| Like
any voyage, the search for meaning
in our lives is a trip that requires
provisions. It's a quest that demands
resources and preparation. |
| The
individual circumstances of our lives,
combined with our innate talents and
tendencies, dictate whether or not
we are ready to pursue our journeys
in earnest. Those born to poverty,
for instance, have little use for
a journey beyond than that of gaining
the basic necessities to sustain existence.
|
| Yet the struggle
to continue our existence is a key
element of the journey. It's the process
by which we define ourselves - it's
where we begin to build our ships
of self. |
| Ships of
Self |
| Every journey requires
a vessel, and the inner journey is
no different. From the moment we are
born, we are bound by the ship in
which the journey will be traveled.
We have no voice in choosing our vessel,
so it's up to each of us to build
our ship using the framework and tools
we've been handed. |
| Just as the captain
of a ship needs to know the capacity
of his vessel before taking the helm
with confidence, we need to know our
own strengths and limitations before
sailing beyond familiar shores. So
how do we find our capacity? How do
we know if we own the framework for
a schooner or a tugboat? |
| Self Discovery |
| Life has an uncanny
(and often severe) way of presenting
us with situations that test our mettle.
The way we choose to deal with life's
challenges plays a fundamental role
in helping us discover ourselves.
Through hardship and adversity we
get glimpses of who we are and what
we are good at. It's where we begin
to see the capacity of the vessel
in which the journey is being traveled.
|
| To
illustrate how the struggle helps
to define us, let's visit the concept
of the "poor little rich boy."
He's born to a life of privilege,
wanting for nothing. His every whim
is satisfied. On the surface it would
seem the boy has a head start and
is ready to launch into a great journey,
because he has a reliable base for
meeting the requirements of a sustained
existence. So why is he unhappy? Why
is it a common theme in society that
those endowed with privilege and means
often find themselves stumbling into
life's pitfalls? |
| One answer is that
those who are not challenged in their
lives have little opportunity to gain
a sense of self. They've not had the
opportunity to navigate the hazards
of ordinary life and find strength
through overcoming adversity. They've
not been forced to use the tools they
possess to build their ships. |
| Some of us are blessed
with luxury liners while others are
born with more pedestrian vessels.
But that doesn't necessarily mean
anyone has a head start on their journey.
There are more fast ships at the bottom
of the sea than tugboats. The irony
is, we don't know right away whether
we have the makings of a schooner
or a tugboat - it's only by navigating
the seas of life that we begin to
know what we are. And we retain the
power to build ourselves into sturdy
vessels as long as we strive to master
the tools we've been given and put
them to good use in building our ships
of self. |
 Go
on to Tresure Hunting |
