What is beyond trust?

Any time I hear someone say “trust me” I get just a tiny bit skeptical.

It registers for me as “I’m trying to persuade you but my argument isn’t solid enough on its own so I’m turning to peer pressure to convince you.”

That’s not so trustable.

There are many things where an argument and persuasion are not possible. How do I trust that I am on the right path, for example. I can believe that I am. I can have confidence that I am. But trust leaves room for doubt.

When it comes to walking my highest path in this lifetime, I don’t trust trust.

I know I am.

Knowing is the ultimate form of conviction. Knowing is what trust hopes to be one day when it grows up. Knowing removes all uncertainty and doubt.

I know with every cell in my body that I am on the right path for me. There is a complete and unshakable certainty that this is absolute truth. I don’t need to trust that. I know.

How do I have this knowing that this is the my path? Well, that is a thought for another day.

What if my path is different?

What if my path is……… different?

Different than what I thought it would be.

Different than what those closest to me thought it would be.

Different than what society expects of me.

Different from what I want it to be.

What if, at age 40, my path is still revealing itself? Can I surrender deeply enough to even see this path? Do I have the courage and perseverance to walk this path? Will I give myself the permission to walk this path?

How do I know if this is the right path for me?

I woke up on this lovely Saturday morning with plans of doing one thing and then ended up doing something completely different.

Part of that emergent plan took me into a small, bustling local bookstore. In the process of leaving with 5 books to add to the ever-growing pile of future reading material, I found a new quote that I very much enjoy.

"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." — John Muir

It can be extremely difficult at times to trust that the path that we are on is the right one. There's no way of knowing the consequences and repercussions of making a left turn instead of a right turn 47 days ago. I could have won the lottery or gotten hit but a bus with every other multiverse in between. So why sweat it?

That quote opened up this internal dialogue of inviting in more trust. Of course this is the right path because I am on it. Otherwise, I wouldn't be on this path. I'd be on different one.

Also. Bonus points to this emergent Saturday for allowing me to experience over a dozen animals in their natural habitats including dolphins, elk, deer and some badass hawks and birds. I have this loose theory about a dozen animals correlating to a day well spent.

Before I even knew that this quote existed, my path was making room for the dirt paths. Just another example of the future me laying the groundwork for the present me. How fucking cool is that?