Which Way Are You Walking?

Is it the right direction…

The word michi 道 (pronounced me-chee) in Japanese means the way, the path, or the method. So when I think about my life, I think about it like a path. I am sure others feel this way too.

It makes it easier to wrap your mind around life when you think about it, like a journey or a path. This analogy carries over into the backcountry, where I like to spend a lot of time. You usually follow a trail when you are out there; sometimes, it isn’t great, but a path no less.

Often different paths converge on other routes and give you decision points along the way, much like our journey of life. Sometimes you pick a great direction, and other times, you wonder what you were thinking when you made that decision.

This brings me to a question I like to ask myself periodically…

How satisfied are you with the path you’ve chosen?

When I step back and look at my life and the activities that fill it, I have to ask this question. If I don’t, I risk going down a path that I never intended to walk down. Which in turn will lead me to a place I likely never wanted to be.

If we don’t take the time to regularly consider our journey and what it is about the path we are on that satisfies us and what doesn’t. 

Recently, my wife and I decided to relocate to New Mexico to be closer to family and create a better quality of life for ourselves. I also got a new job after being in a role for over 8 years because it will allow me to build the life I want to lead. To walk down the path that I want to take.

It is interesting to me how many people rarely take the time to inventory their lives and consider where they find themselves and what direction they are going in. But for those of us that do, the second question can really cut to the core of our being.

How could you improve on the progress you’re making?

Most of the time, I am doing well. But sometimes, the litmus test I am using to determine if I am making progress is whether or not I made it to the end of the week intact. I’ve come to realize that just because I am surviving doesn’t mean I am thriving.

That critical nuance was also one of the reasons for us to relocate to a different state. We just didn’t feel like we were thriving in the place we were in Washington. We were surviving and doing a decent job of living the life we wanted, but at the end of the day, that was where it ended.

We decided to improve our lives by moving to a different area of the country. There is more sun, less congestion, and an overall slower pace of life. For us, this was an improvement. It might not feel that way for others, which is entirely ok.

It is crucial to figure out what improvement to your journey or path looks like to you, not anyone else. Equally important is that you consider how you are creating moments for others to succeed. 

How are you creating opportunities for others to succeed?

Life isn’t all about you; it is about building a community of family, friends, and acquaintances. How you support and help them succeed matters as much as your success. I guarantee that you wouldn’t find any fulfillment if you only thought about yourself and what you would need to succeed if there wasn’t anyone there to celebrate with you.

Not too long ago, seeing a master-apprentice relationship in most professions was much more common. Only recently have we been mass-producing students through schools to get a degree in something without having hands-on experience.

In these mentoring relationships, you typically find opportunities to help others succeed. The samurai practiced these types of relationships regularly. But they didn’t just train for fighting and war. They also passed on skills for gardening, calligraphy, the tea ceremony, and poetry.

If you have never experienced a mentoring relationship, I encourage you to find one as a mentor or a mentee. It can help you answer these 3 questions I have posed here much more quickly. It will also help you decide if you are on the right path.

Be well, my friend, and if you’d like to pick up a copy of either of my books and learn more about the samurai culture, I have included the links below.

The War Within Us: https://amzn.to/3Kne8Qe

Always Improving: https://amzn.to/3OLjp60