Whose Journey is This?

“Midway through the journey of my life,
I found myself lost in a dark wood.”
                                                   Dante Alighieri

I began my career inspired by the world’s greatest literature, determined to teach, write, and contribute to what Francis Bacon called “the advancement of knowledge.” Yet today I often find myself wrestling with shadows, rushing off to meetings, dealing with endless barrages of  e-mail, spending more time on mundane chores than the ideals that once inspired me.

Does this sound familiar? Overwhelmed by demands and distractions, many of us feel lost on a journey that is not our own.

In the opening lines of the Divine Comedy, Dante writes that midway through the journey of his life he had lost his way. This realization led him on a pilgrimage through the depths of hell and finally to a vision of Paradise with “the love that lights the sun and the other stars.”

If you’ve been lost in a maze of demands, deadlines, and “shoulds,” you can find your way by practicing what St. Ignatius Loyola called Discernment. Beneath the surface noise of childhood conditioning, peer pressure, popular culture, and external demands is the quiet wisdom we can find by listening to our hearts.

Before making a choice, take time to listen. Often the first feeling you’ll notice is fear– fear of failure, fear of risk, rejection, loss, of not meeting others’ expectations, along with repressed emotions of hurt, defensiveness, anger, resentment—dark emotions Ignatius called “Desolation.” Yet beyond these painful emotions is “Consolation”–your deepest desires, guiding values, and feelings of love, joy, insight, understanding, gratitude, trust, openness, enthusiasm, creativity, inspiration, and peace. Consolation and Desolation are the two settings on your inner compass. As you move forward in life, they can help you find the right direction.

To practice Discernment now:

• Center yourself by breathing slowly and deeply.
• Think of a decision you need to make.
• Standing at the crossroads, see yourself making one choice, then the other.
• As you do so, listen to your heart. Which path leads to Consolation? Desolation?
• Take a deep breath and release it.
• Your inner guidance will come through–either now or later, as you go about your daily activities.

Namaste,
Diane