“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
What do we do with the time that is given us?
There are many calls to action out in the world right now. Which one do you follow?
The one that speaks to your soul. The one that calls out to you. The one that beckons you to follow, despite … everything.
That one is the call to embark on your hero’s journey.
Unfortunately, it won’t be what someone else tells you what to do (although many other people can act as guides and mentors and support you).
Unfortunately, it won’t be what someone else has done (although many other people can act as models and support and proof that you can find your path).
It won’t involve sacrificing your well-being, but will challenge you to level up in all areas of your life.
By improving yourself, you will improve the lives of those around you. By seeking your path, you will learn much about the world around you. By trying and trying again to make it through your challenges, you will improve the world around you.
I believe each of our hero’s journey calls to us from beyond. It’s something that transcends and connects. Its importance and purpose is beyond our understanding.
As far as I can tell, my journey revolves around the connection between health of humans and health of the planet. As I’ve walked this path I have started (seriously, just started) to learn about the connection between diet and environment, the gut and soil, social justice and food production, indigenous wisdom and modern nutrition, animals and humans, family and farming, and so, so much more.
As I’ve felt the pressure to speak up (a loud call to action in the world today), I’ve been reminded to speak the truth as I see it. Which means I can really only speak to what I’ve learned and to what I know. I will learn more. What I know will change. But I can’t parrot someone else’s truth. I must find my own way.
By staying on my path, learning what I need to learn, heeding the call, stepping up to level up my life, I remain a part of the whole that is seeking the Truth.
My path might not look the way someone else wants it to look. My truth may not sound the way someone else wants it to sound.
I will keep my sights on the Truth.
“I will work on myself, since the work on myself is gonna be the highest thing I can do for it all, since I understand that as man up-levels his own consciousness, he sees more creative solutions to the problems that he’s confronting.”
Baba Ram Dass