In Each Step

A young woman walked the road in her mind.

She reminisced about a person she once loved – one who stripped away all the hurt. It was hurt that needed to be shed in order to flow and reach a place of peace. Hurt she thought was the end. Stripped away, she wandered. She floated in a bliss of alignment, and she sank into remembrance. The woman fell in love with the feeling. The confidence that came with it. The fearlessness in the present moment. She fell. Into comfort. 

All the remembrance came from a deep energy pushing her to show strength in the face of the unknown. An eternal energy guided her here, yet it became one she forgot to use. She became too comfortable and too reliant on what she knew. This brought stagnation. 

“Who am I?” She asked herself, and she left for a search. She went to faraway lands, came home to the bed of her mother, and left again. All in search of a comfort which does not exist in the external world. A comfort that can only be felt from true inner peace in her being. 

Now in a faraway land, she begged for air and longed to feel again. To feel like herself. To feel the roots of her feet in the earth below. All the feelings she lived through for so long, yet she fell back to the hard, lost land of society. 

The ocean air called for her. She listened, all while ignoring the fear of her core. She made her way to the roaring white water, the basking sea lions, and the beautiful interaction awaiting her by the shore.

Only a few steps and the sun covered her face like a magical blanket of yellow light casting a spell.

“Hello, miss,” a kind, old man said to her. The voice of another almost shook her – it scared her out of her own fear and brought her back to life. She turned to the man sitting behind a fold-up table of books.

“Oh…hi, how are you?” She looked at him and felt an instantaneous spark of light. A rush of overwhelming energy flooded her being. The woman felt a certain type of calm that she had not felt in a very long time. 

“Are you selling these?” she said as she picked up a book from the table. The man seemed to be studying her. 

“What is your take on religion?” the man said to her in a calm voice. He completely ignored her question.

“Um – I…” before even thinking of an answer, she felt taken aback. She wasn’t sure if it was anxiety or the unfamiliarity of being asked a question so real. Regaining her mind, she grew new energy as she reconnected with her answer.

“I believe,” she continued, “in the Law of One.” The young woman stated with a newfound confidence. Her shoulders relaxed and her heart opened.

“And what is that?” The kind man interlaced his fingers, shifting his body weight forward in his seat. Their minds began to connect.

“Well, that we are all one,” she smiled and allowed the words to flow. “I believe no matter the religion, each one is a pathway to the higher source we all gravitate to – the eternal light we are all made of.”

“Mmm, we are all one,” the man sat back and placed his hands on his abdomen. “Yes, that is it, you see… respect and love. Each of us is here to breathe peace and to speak compassion. Each of us is here to create authentically. Each of us is a light… you are a light. Continue on with your mind and allow it to expand.” The man finished and took a big breath in. 

The woman smiled and looked down to the ground. A tear fell down her cheek. She thought of the preceding years. They were times full of adventure, courage, and faith. She was confused about where it all went. She had been holding onto it for the past year. However, the more she held onto the past and compared, the more inner conflict it brought. Despite her doubt, the man felt her presence. He saw her truth as clear as the blue sky above. 

“Do not fear, dear,” he reached for her hand. He held it softly and continued, “Fear is an illusion controlled only by your mind. No matter your experience, allow the universe to guide you along your path.”

The man nodded to the book in her hand.

“This is the Bhagavad Gita,” he released her hand to explain. “A Hindu scripture. I think you will find it fascinating.”

“H-how much is it?” the woman asked, wiping away the tears from her cheek. She stood up straighter and felt the gratitude the man poured into her through his kindness. She suddenly surrendered. She allowed the magic of the moment to override any limiting emotions.

“It’s all yours, but you must open it at random – during your highest times and lowest times. Utilize it in times of question, and I promise the page you arrive at will hold the answers for that moment. It always does.”

The woman smiled and gripped the book tighter. She looked up at him. “Are you sure there isn’t anything I can repay you with?”

“Repay me by waking each day believing in yourself. You are a light, as we all are. Follow your path with courage and all-encompassing love for yourself. Use books like these for inspiration. They are magic, as are you.

The two shook hands, grateful to meet. The woman walked off. 

Along the coast, she felt her truth for the first time in a long time. Beside the pelicans and the sea lions, she felt right in place. She admired the lush greenery swaying in the wind and the ocean that sprayed mist through it all. Her toes gripped the earth stronger than ten minutes prior. Emerging into a shifted reality, her mind walked on. 

Fear leads to retreat. Retreat is not a resolution. Resolution and growth come from acceptance of one’s current state. Followed by release, acceptance is key to growth. I do not need to fear change. I see how the more I do, the more I struggle. Allowing myself to surrender to the natural flow, I know there is always light at the end. There is always opportunity in the situation. Light is life. It exists within us all, and it is always there, just needing gratitude to clear the fog. 

Breathing in the new air and releasing the old with each step, the young woman remembered: purpose is in the moment – there is nothing to seek; the only thing to do is simply be.