Traveling through life . . .
This is an excerpt from a companion 2-CD audio book titled Get the MOST from Yourself by Dr. Terry Kibiloski
As we travel on this journey of getting the MOST from yourself, you will find the formula for happiness and success is easy to understand. When you apply this formula in your life, the journey through that proverbial “jungle out there” can become a walk in the park. While life has its challenges, the path to follow to enjoy every moment of your life journey is really very clear. Let’s begin with an analogy.
A novice hiker sets off on a journey through a rather dense forest. He carries with him a very detailed and elaborate map, given to him by a teacher who has never actually traveled through the forest but has taught people how to travel through this forest for many years. In the beginning, the hike is very enjoyable. The hiker enjoys the journey and stops to marvel at the beautiful flowers and butterflies. As the days pass, though, the hiker begins to get worried about finding his way through the forest. He checks and double checks each path on the map. He leaves signs of where he has been so he can return the same way he has traveled if he becomes too lost. He begins to carry extra items in case he needs them: berries he found along the path, extra fish he caught in the stream, and extra containers of water from a fresh spring. As his burden gets heavier, he becomes exhausted much quicker each day. His worries begin to increase. He worries about the weather, snakes, dangerous animals, and even insect bites. His worries begin to turn into doubts, and he is soon suffering from chronic stress symptoms like headache, intestinal problems, insomnia, etc. In a very short time, he regrets ever starting the hike through the woods. He becomes so discouraged he just sits on a log and begins to cry.
As he is crying, an experienced woodsman passes by and asks why the hiker is so upset. After hearing the hiker’s worries and fears, the woodsman tells the hiker he has lived in the forest for many years, and has enjoyed every moment of every day. He quickly shows the hiker how to use survival skills to simplify his journey through the forest, and encourages the hiker to drop all of his unnecessary baggage to lighten his load and enjoy his journey. Most importantly, he encourages the hiker to get rid of the map he was given by his teacher.
The woodsman explains that while the teacher’s intentions may have been admirable, his limited knowledge of the forest, and the complexity of the map, are of little use to the hiker. Instead of following the complex map, which makes the journey through the forest a confusing experience in map reading rather than an enjoyable hike, the woodsman shows the hiker how to stay on course by using the signs of nature. He shows the hiker how to keep his journey simple and enjoyable, how to enjoy every moment of the journey along the way. He explains that while the journey may be physically challenging, as the hiker needs to climb mountains and swim streams, the path through the forest is very simple to follow with wonderful adventures and beautiful gifts of nature along the way.
As the hiker leaves the woodsman, he has a new confidence in himself. He again enjoys the journey and stops to marvel at the beautiful flowers and butterflies and all the other gifts of nature. As the days pass, he meets other hikers who need his help as he needed help from the woodsman. In making their journey easier, he finds his journey is even more enjoyable.
As we travel on this journey to get the MOST from yourself, you will pass from novice hiker to experienced woodsman. You will find that while the journey through life may be challenging, it is very simple to follow the path where you can enjoy every moment of the journey along the way. Most importantly, you will be able to help others in their journey.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: This file is protected by copyright laws. It may not be copied or reproduced in any way without the expressed permission from the author, Dr. Terry Kibiloski. Readers who purchase a copy of this file from Computer Times, may make a printed copy for their personal use only.
