The question asked of most children is: ‘what do you want to
be when you grow up?’ Most of us have no idea unless we have been coached. We
assume we will be adults. Add pressure from our culture for individual
achievement and the more confusion grows. In the 3 dimensional world there are signs
along the roadways that warn us if we head in the wrong direction, but indicators as we travel the path of spirit are much more subtle.
I recently had the privilege to address a class of
University students. In the question time after my talk most of the students
wanted to know about my becoming a writer: “Did you always want to write?” “How
did you decide ..?” I couldn’t really answer
their questions; I could only take them on my journey.
Writing was my mother’s thing. She loved words. Me? I would rather forgo a gift than struggle through writing a thank you note. Extracting my own teeth had more appeal than sitting in front of paper. As I entered high school I still had no sense of direction. After school hours were tied up in care-taking four younger brothers for two working parents. There was little opportunity for influence, nor dreams of anything more than growing up and leaving.
Writing was my mother’s thing. She loved words. Me? I would rather forgo a gift than struggle through writing a thank you note. Extracting my own teeth had more appeal than sitting in front of paper. As I entered high school I still had no sense of direction. After school hours were tied up in care-taking four younger brothers for two working parents. There was little opportunity for influence, nor dreams of anything more than growing up and leaving.
The universe will not allow a void. Without some mental road
map, nature will provide your career. Being the mother of 3 was a mix of joy
and more of those teeth pulling moments. Thankfully, the joy outweighed the
dental threat. It was a need for extra income plus a desire to be more than
someone’s sister, wife, or mother that became the catalyst to move me forward. Working
exposed me to various career fields and my
world began to expand.
Still, writing never crossed my mind. My resume grew with
various work experiences. Sometimes I worked for others and occasionally for
myself. When the effort seemed more work than pleasure, I moved on. Sometimes I
wondered what was wrong with me that I did not stay put. Little did I
realize that I was learning and becoming under the influence of spirit.
Like most, the age of forty awakened a desire understand the
mysteries of life. I expanded my
education and came to realize that helping others nurtured my soul. I studied to become a Naturopathic Doctor,
later adding a doctorate in Metaphysics. In my dictionary, a doctor is a
teacher. That is how I began helping others.
Writing became a tool to expand the circle of helping.
I never decided to be a writer; I evolved. Those years of stumbling through the wilderness were actually under Divine guidance until I could see the path. There were always signs but my mind could not read them. However, when it was time, I met a literary agent on vacation. She told me, “Keep writing.” As final re-enforcement of her words, my first two books won literary awards.
If you ever feel lost on your spirit path, stop and look back. In retrospect, you'll recognize the signs.
