When I say Genie in a Bottle, I know some will begin to sing that song by Christina Aguilera. That’s not where I’m going with this. (Philosophy post)
A big life change or some big paradigm shift is like a genie coming out of a bottle. The old way of thinking is gone and a new way presents itself and there is no way to go backwards. You cannot put the genie back in the bottle and pretend you now don’t know what you know that you know. One cannot unsee what one has seen or what has been revealed.
(If you don’t know the terms “epiphany” or “paradigm shift” I invite you to look them up.)
I am beginning to realize that everyone will have their own epiphanies at different times (if they are open to them) and they will never be caused by just one thing, one book read, or one quote discovered or one fact discovered. They come after nights on your knees crying out to the wilderness, God, the Universe, anyone who will listen. They come through pain and wrestling out, they come with the honest desire for wisdom and knowledge. (Don’t ever pray for such things unless you are ready for them to come, because they will turn your life upside down.)
The truth is, all truth cannot be contained in 2,000 words or 2,000 books. The Universe is reeking with truths, waiting to be discovered. This is exciting to me. I have such a desire to learn now that I’m sometimes obsessive about it. I want to know all the things about all the things. But I don’t want to adopt someone else’s faith path or worldview, this one is my path and my view ahead. I’m a seeker and always will be one. There is no going “backwards” along that path. There is no turning back. I may spiral or squiggly all over the place, but I do not turn around and go backwards.
I also am discovering that – if I am around the corner of a building, I may see something you do not (and the reverse is true). Perspective really is hugely important. It’s like I’m looking at a Picasso hanging on the wall and you may be in a garden revelling amongst the flowers. Both things are acceptable and wonderful. But we are not seeing the same things at the same time. I’m learning that this is okay.
In order for humanity to heal, we have got to begin to allow each other to blaze our own trails of discovery. To applaud one another, no matter what it is they may be discovering today.
We can no longer separate ourselves into boxes and limit our contact with the new and different. Be brave and mature enough to blaze your own trail. Seek. Learn. Others won’t get it and that’s okay. Do it anyway, You won’t regret it.
Dare to turn a new corner, go through an alleyway and come out on another street you didn’t know was there all along. This is the very heart of adventure. And life is nothing if not an adventure.