Beginning of a Journey

“This above all: to thine own self be true,
and it must follow as the night the day,
thou canst not then be false to any man.”
-William Shakespeare

For the next four months, I’m making a conscious commitment to step back, live more consciously, fully, and take a closer look at the larger canvas of life. I hope to expand, to grow, to cultivate deeper, and to live in full resonance with my “inner self.”

While this is an on-going process, in the past it has been an immensely growing experience for me to step outside of the box for a while. Ten years ago, I spent almost a year volunteering and living in Nepal and India. Five years ago, Nipun and I spent three months on a walking pilgrimage followed by three months at a monastery in India. It’s needless to say that both of these experiences changed the course of my life and helped me make better decisions about “how” to live.

After having been involved in a fast-paced life for the past three years, and after recently leaving my job, this seems like a perfect place to press the “pause” button while I have this opportunity. As I get older (although I’m still young :) I find it easier for the mind to slip into certain patterns. While this type of self-inquiry might come to us naturally when we’re grasping with who we are and our place in the world, I’ve found that it’s even more important to consciously keep reflecting as we get older. To live fully, one needs to constantly challenge their own beliefs and ideas about themselves and the world around them, and to live with greater clarity.

I’ve filled the next four and a half months with so many of my favorite things -- to reflect, meditate, practice yoga, travel, photography, learn about other cultures, spend time at a monastery, and go on a sacred walking pilgrimage across Spain, and to just be. It’s a gift and a privilege to be taking this kind of a journey at this time in my life.

As much as I will miss my close friends and family, I soon realized that I never left them. They are always in my heart wherever I go, constantly supporting me, guiding me, and blessing me. I’ll try to keep this blog updated as much as I can (internet-access permitting) to share my journey. I hope that you keep me updated about your life as well.