The Path of Least Resistance

The path of least resistance is not a Path with Heart.

Have you ever taken the path of least resistance in your Life?

You say to yourself, "That way takes too much effort, I'll go this way, it is easier." or "That way takes too long, I'll take this shortcut." Sure you have, we all have at some point, under some circumstances. Most of the time you take the path of least resistance to avoid something you deem painful or unpleasant. Or, maybe you perceive it as a shortcut, a way to save time or effort. Taking the path of least resistance is a choice. Usually it is a small decision you make and it is no big deal but, many small decisions add up and sometimes the path of least resistance can become a habit, a bad habit.
The very first thing you learn as an emerging life form is the basic reaction/action response of avoiding pain and seeking pleasure. You seek the warmth and security of your mother's arms, body and breast. You learn to react to the pain of cold and hunger by crying which gets you warmth and food. As you get older, some of the things you associate with pain are learned, and only painful to you because of your "point of view". For instance, for some people, "work" is a four letter word and "working" is painful. For some, working is something they "have to do", while for others, it is accepted, embraced and done with purpose. For some, their job is a source of pain, misery, and boredom, while for others, it is nourishing to their soul. Both points of view are learned, accepted as truth, and hardwired into our brains as our "personal point of view". Both are arbitrary, learned choices, and as such, can be changed.

Every day you make hundreds, perhaps thousands of choices and decisions. Many of these small decisions and choices are habits, and as such, we do not give them much thought. But, each of these choices can be either a strengthening choice or a weakening choice. Some of these choices may be habits derived from an outdated point of view, a point of view that no longer serves us. For instance, when we were children perhaps we could get our way by whining, but now, as an adult, whining makes us look childish and spoiled. As a child, it may have been a strengthening habit, getting us what we wanted from adults, but now it is a weakening habit we need to drop.

Usually, the choice to take the path of least resistance is made to avoid perceived pain, to stay comfortable or to stay numb to the pain your point of view is causing you. The path of least resistance may appear to be the path to safety and comfort but, in the long run it weakens the will and kills the spirit. The path of least resistance, avoidance, is always a weakening choice. When it becomes a habit, an automatic response, you are a slave to weakness.

A Path with Heart is never a path of avoidance. A Path with Heart is empowering and strengthening because it is consciously chosen, lived with purpose, and faces Life full-on. Your Path with Heart will guide your Life in the right direction. For instance, maybe your Path with Heart is to Live a healthier Life. How many decisions do you make every day that relate to your health? Eat that candy...or eat a healthy snack?, take the elevator ....or the stairs?....stand up for myself......or let my boss berate me again? It may take more effort, more discipline, and more courage but you will be achieving small victories in your Life and it is the small daily victories that make our lives meaningful.
Every choice you make leads somewhere. Even if you choose not to choose, you still have made a choice. Choose a Path with Heart, make the commitment to follow it, and then be conscious of your daily habitual choices related to your path. Adjust your habits to your path and replace bad habits with strengthening and empowering habits. Soon you will find yourself living a more purposeful Life. Every choice you make is a step down a path to somewhere. Making that choice in the light of whether you are on a Path with Heart can lead you up into the light of a richer, more fulfilling and empowered Life.

"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." ~ William Jennings Bryan

Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.
~ Nikos Kazantzakis