Learning

Our Journeys

There are questions that have occupied philosophers for centuries. Who are we?  Why are we here? What is the bigger picture and meaning of our lives? Many answers are pondered and offered. There is mystery in our lives and a lot we do not know. Society for centuries has tried to handle this, providing replies that comfort, but do not answer completely. In the end, we live with the existence of the unknown in our worlds

In the midst of these unknowns, Openings provide doorways. They help us move forward. Sometimes, they guide us and provide insights to these existential questions.  They often challenge us and ask for our strength and courage. In dealing with them, we grow. Why are they here? There are all kinds of Openings and sometimes they seem tailored to right where we are at the time they show up.

Life is a journey. There are many views regarding what our journey is and what it is for. Safety is a common denominator here. For some, the journey is perilous and they seek the safety of a belief system shared with others or on their own. Some deny the existence of a journey, letting society provide safety by defining what their life should be. Some “fall asleep”, staying safe by not giving these questions any thought. Is there safety to be had? Or is allowing the questions and presence of the unknown actually our true safety in line with the reality of our existence?

Context

Context: The circumstances in which an event occurs; a setting.

Context can be very helpful in our lives. Our minds need it and when we have context, it centers us. Context can be anything we make it to be but it must be conscious and accepted by us for it to exist. It shapes our understanding of situations and events. The context we adopt, either consciously or unconsciously, influences our point of view, emotions, behaviors and actions.

Some say that life is a schoolhouse and this provides context for their journeys. We are here to learn and that is the purpose of our life on earth. With this context, we are seekers looking for knowledge about our existence. It assumes that we are here to grow. Life isn’t about coasting, rather it is about serious, intentional movement. Honestly, there is no absolute surety in having this context. It does, however, fit the idea of travelling from one place to another (and another). But where are we going? Here’s the mystery again.

Those who see the journey this way each find their own ways to learn. It is very much a journey guided by the individual circumstances of our life.  However, it doesn’t have to be a solo journey – we can join with and learn from others. The context of our being on a hero’s journey has guided people for a very long time. The classic hero’s journey in mythology, indigenous cultures and stories like Star Wars is a context for seekers that is laid out clearly for us to understand.