Are you a wanderer with questions?

Are you constantly looking to others to answer your questions and truths? Do you rely on influences outside of yourself to determine and define your place in this existence? Are you lost in your soul’s journey and not quite sure how to make it home?

This topic has been coming up lately when speaking with friends and family. There are so many options and paths in life that we can choose to answer our questions, how do we choose which one to take? Is there even a right one? If we choose this one or that one, are we afraid that we will miss out on our soul purpose or that one thing we were created to do? Have we only been created for one thing? You can see the questions can continue and it’s layers and layers deep without any answers. Where in the hell do we start when we have no clue where we will end?

So, where do we go? Let’s talk a little about the outside influences we experience on a day to day basis. Let’s be honest, each one deserves at least a blog on its own, actually hundreds or thousands, but we’ll speak briefly about each one.

Outside Influences

Self-help/personal development industry

So it got me thinking. With the booming self-help industry representing  $10billion per year in the U.S. alone (source) it’s not surprising that we are all looking for assistance with our questions in this area, but because of this massive industry, we are getting more and more confused about our options and what is that “right” path. Remember when I talked about trendy meditation? That idea that we have to go somewhere to find something within ourselves. This too has added to the confusion of knowing where we need to head in our life.

Trust me, I personally support this industry. I have been on a self-development journey since watching  The Secret in December 2013. I was awakened to the idea that there is more to life than the way I was living. On this continued journey I have read and listened to many thought leaders like Brene Brown, Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle, Michael A. Singer, Gabby Bernstein to name a few.

My personal favorite is Derek Rydall who’s focus is “Find Your Passion. Live Your Purpose. Make and Impact” and has invented the term Law of Emergence where everything that we ever need is already inside of us and we need to allow it to emerge and live through us. I love his approach because he reminds us that it is all inside ourselves, that we do not need to go outside to find our self, something that is often practiced by people who are looking for more!

Family

We are a product of our environment. From the moment of conception (and possibly prior to that depending on your beliefs), we have downloaded many truths, experiences, beliefs, and emotions. Do you remember playing the 100 questions game? You were thirsty for knowledge and you trusted those that were closest to you for answers.

We learn language, beliefs, mannerisms, judgments from those people that are close to us. Children are sponges, sucking in all that surrounds them. They mirror our actions and our words from a very young age and also gain “absolute truth” because of the inherent trust that they put in to their parents. It’s not an earned trust, it is a natural trust and one that isn’t always in the best interest of the child.

Religion and/or Communities

Coming in close to family is religion and/or communities. Many people use religions or gospels on their quest in finding their path or their meaning of living. They are either born into it or seek it out and there are countless principles taught through religious practice. I personally spent 18 years of my life learning and practicing one religion. I knew I personally needed to experience this in my lifetime to gather certain principles and understand the value of community. It served me well and I am grateful for this time.

Social media and the internet

Yes, I’m going here! Keeping up with the Jones’ was bad enough 40-50 years  ago, enter in the digital age where everyone’s life is on display and everyone (including myself) can have an opinion about anything. We consciously and unconsciously download information constantly from multiple sources, people and companies telling you how to think, what to buy, how to life, how to raise your children and “oh by the way” check out how this person is doing it, don’t you want to be like them? Oh boy! I could go on and on about this one!

Again, each category could and will be expanded on in the future; however, these brief descriptions can at lease allow discussions to occur.

So what’s next?

With all of these outside influences hitting us from so many angles, where do we go? How do we know who is right, what’s a fad, what’s here to stay? Would it surprise you to hear there truly is an answer to these difficult questions? And that answer is one that only you can find!

Stay tuned for upcoming posts as we explore the simple concept of coming home!