I recently did a hypnosis session for a fifteen year-old girl who remarked several times about staying in the right path.  A week later while I was walking in nature, I began to think about her words.  She was obsession about being and staying on the right road.  I get my best ideas when I’m out in nature, so I let my mind wander on this subject of ‘being on the right path’.  The further I walked, the more I thought about the pressure she was putting on herself.  Is there only one path for each of us to follow?

Staying on the path

So, how do you stay on the path?  Interestingly enough, we can take the advice of hikers.

  1. Have a good map. A topographical map is always good.  In life, having an overview of your own life and what you want to do in life is always good.  By having a topographic image of what you want to accomplish in life helps you see the big picture so to speak.  Looking down on the land beneath us helps us to see where we are and where we want to be.  From this viewpoint we see there is more than one way to reach our goal.
  2. Find an experienced hiking buddy, one who can guide you along the way.  Be open to listening to the advice you are given.  However, trust your intuition and be prepared to leave the trail if needed.  While we need the advice of others, understand that the information is coming from their perspective.  At times a mentor may try to influence us to take certain actions, that while these actions are correct, it may not be the best course for you.
  3. Check-in stations along the way are beneficial and necessary.  It’s important to ‘check-in’ to make sure you’re on the right path, but it’s also important to make sure there are no obstacles that could change your course of action if you stay on that trail.
  4. Stop, look, and listen.  When the path seems to be coming to a dead-end, then it’s time to stop going on down that trail and look around to see if there’s a better alternative.  Listen to your higher-self.  That intuition will lead you to safety if you allow it to.  Look at the situation honestly.  Don’t be so determined to stay on this particular trail that you get totally lost.
  5. Seek help when needed and be willing to give help when you can.  We all need help as we journey through life.  If we are willing to ask for help, it’s not a sign of weakness, but an indication of a strong confident person.  You don’t have to have all the answers.  No-one has all the answers.
When do you know it’s time to change directions

You’ve heard the saying, “When one door closes, another one opens”.  Remember the times you were trying to make a situation work and you just couldn’t get all the pieces to fall into place?  These are the times when we need to stop and re-evaluate our course of action.  While there may be obstacles on the path, we have to recognize those moments when it’s no longer a blockage on the path, but a dead-end and potentially a dangerous road that we’re on.

When things seem impossible

When the path you are on seems to be impossible to walk, go back to step one.  Look at the topographical map.  You may find that there are several paths you can take to accomplish what you need to safely reach the goal you set for yourself in life.

Remember, there is always more than one way to do things and have it turn out right.  So it is with walking your path.  There’s more than one right path to take in life.  One will still end up where you need to be in the end.

I have learned through the years that the road is not straight and narrow.  There are curves, blind spots, obstacles, and adventures that we could not have ever imagined.  Don’t worry so much about the path, but enjoy the journey.

Read the article about the hypnosis session with the 15 year old under hypnosis.  You may be surprised how the session turned out!