Michelle Obama shares in her autobiography “Becoming”, that her Thursday night dinners with Barak, which would be at the same downtown restaurant in Chicago, was her pathway back to the start. This was prior to her becoming First Lady where the privilege of anonymity, meeting unnoticed, had not yet been taken away. In Becoming, she shares how this tradition of theirs was not only a delight, but also an intentional return to something familiar, a place on the board game of life called “start”.
Our pathways back to the start are like that last move in a board game that takes you back to the starting place, where you receive your boost or recharge that brings with it a newness. This is similar to what the pathway back to our personal start should look like. It should be a pathway to receiving, so that you can then embark on the next round of transactional, dutiful commerce of life, which invariable involves giving.
A pathway back to the start is something we all need. It is something that will lead us back to...
- Perspective
- Authentic living, away from the complexity and back to the simplicity.
- It is an experience that reminds us what it’s all about … why we do what we do, and work so hard.
Within the constant marathon of life, there are two possibilities.
Firstly, the not so good news is that you and I have a strong inclination for losing the plot…Literally. There is a possibility that we could lose our sense of reason for all this demanding and time consuming stuff that we find ourselves doing. We become so dutiful, so obsessed with achievement, that we forget the source – the thing that really and truly matters. Now imagine if this carries on for weeks, months, years… How blind would we be towards our source?
Secondly, the much better news is that there is a possibility of us being able to avoid this concerning lifestyle previously mentioned, and a good first step for this would be developing our pathway to the start. And these can be really simple practices. When they are done with a specified intention and consistency, it can become very powerful. This practice will be different for all of us, but we all need at least one.
What's your pathway back to the start?
Examples of this could be:
- Meditating in a certain space, at a certain time
- Walking barefoot on the sand, letting the soles of our feet connect with mother nature
- A certain book that helps you pause and rewind or offers guidance
- A run along a familiar path
- A familiar ‘special spot’ outdoors that is related to peace and clarity of mind where you can be still
What a great question to ponder. As you contemplate, I’d encourage you to list some possible answers and plan to implement at least one. For some of you this question might create other questions like, ‘what is my start?’ If you do have that question, maybe go back and listen to our Podcast 104 , or even read our previous blog post. You might find some help there.
Remember we’d love you to talk to us and let us know if you’ve found our work helpful. Pop a comment below and let us know what your pathway back to the start is.