Asking for Directions

For the first time since I started this project, I find myself disagreeing with the quote of the week, by Paul Watzlawick. "Wer zu sich selbst finden will, darf andere nicht nach dem Weg fragen"

Which means: If you want to find yourself, do not ask others for directions.

Yes, I understand that every person is unique and each must find their own path on the spiritual journey.

BUT, and it is a very big but, I strongly believe that we all need support along the way. Which is why being a member of a spiritual / religious community is vital. It is possible to learn a lot by reading or searching the internet, but if we do not have other people to bounce our ideas and conclusions off, we might be led up the garden path by our own imperfect understanding.

I agree that asking others for directions may be a mistake, if we rely on those directions alone, and do not have our own thoughts and ideas. But for me, the spiritual journey is a combination of individual thought and sharing in community.

Which is why I find spiritual direction (which is really a misnomer) so valuable. If you have a spiritual director (which I have for the past seven years) they will accompany you on your journey, listening with full attention to what you have to say, and discerning the movement of the Spirit in your life. They do not direct, they do not judge, they accompany and suggest. Without my spiritual director, I would have been lost, would never have found myself, would never have had the courage for the journey.

I commend being in direction to all spiritual seekers.