Using a GPS To Find Your Path In Life

Have you ever thought of how using a GPS is a great example of finding your path in life? I had not considered this thought until I was reading Chapter 3 of Manifesting Change by Mike Dooley. After all, the GPS gives us an insight to the way our journey in life unfolds or how we think our journey will unfold.

If you have a GPS, you know that in order for it to be of help, you have to put in your destination. In the GPS I have, you can also just display a map as you are driving which is nice because you can see from a bird's eye viewpoint all that is around you as you drive down the road. Without entering the destination, the GPS cannot help you find the location to where you desire to go.

So you put in the destination using the steps of the GPS by entering the city/town or zipcode. Then you enter the street and house or building number and if you have entered information that the GPS understands, it comes up with the correct address. Next, you have to tap the button, "GO" because until you do that, it is just an address showing on the screen. Once you do this, you will most likely hear proceed to designated route.

It is at this point that you have to put your car in motion to the proceed to the designated route and begin following the path the GPS is laying out before you. Most of the time, it just visually shows you the immediate upcoming turns guiding you to turn here or there or within so many feet. If you follow what it says, the GPS will guide you to your destination. At times though, the path it has laid out for you to get there will seem uncertain or strange or illogical but if you continue to follow the directions, most of the time you will end up at your destination.

Now, consider how this parallels life. Many of us know where we want to go or what we desire in life and so we enter it in the GPS of our life. We do this through the thoughts, actions, words and ways we spend our energy. It is like what you put in, you get out. Then once we've filled our world with what we are currently aware or conscious of (the address or destination) that goes into our life's GPS), than we proceed to our destination.

However, we often set our GPS up (with things that will help us get there or with things that may take us on a scenic route) and then we say - that's it - that's all I have to do. What a wonderful life (or a wonderful GPS) and that all I have done will just get me where I need to do. I'll just keep doing the thoughts, words, actions and spending my energy like I have. I'll keep repeating mantras, positive thoughts and hanging out with the junkies from the Secret. Of course, there is nothing wrong with any of that. It is all good stuff but here's the catch.

When I was reading this in Mike Dooley's book, it hit me like a 2x4 upside my head. The thing that most of us fail to do is to put the car in gear and let the GPS take us to our destination. We get so hung up on entering our destination and trying to figure out where we are going that we forget to engage the car (ourselves) in a forward motion. How can we expect the GPS (universe) to get us where we are going if we just stand still in life.

Wait though - there's another point in his book that just hit me a little harder. Often if we are headed to a destination that we have never been to before, we have no idea what roads the GPS (universe) will bring up in the display to get us there. It will most likely not be a familiar path we need to travel. Again, if we follow the GPS (universe) along with the roads that show up before us, we will get there. That is, if we trust that the GPS (universe) knows what is the best route for us and that it understands how to get us to our destination.

The point he makes in his book is that we may not often know what is coming up in our travel to the destination but we have to follow the road along. If we stop and analyze every mile and if this road is the right one or if it is turning the wrong direction or if it is too steep or long, we may be throwing ourselves off our path with unnecessary worry. If we stop and worry about whether there will be gas stations along the way or places to eat and rest or if we will be all alone or stuck in traffic, we may be focusing on things that most likely will appear just when we need them.

Let the GPS (universe) of life help guide you along your path because there is something much greater than ourselves that sees the best path ahead for us in our life. This is something that is located within each of us and if we search within the deepest parts of our consciousness and awareness we will find it. It is our connection to the path ahead. Don't worry about the roads may come before us but allow them to unfold as the miles progress. Keep following the GPS and keep trusting that it knows where it is taking you. Most of all, put your life in forward motion because if your life is at a stand still waiting to get to your destination, until you engage the forward motion, you won't get there.

For me personally, I have an idea of where I am going and where I need to go. It is something deep within me that keeps finding ways to prompt me and let me know when I'm headed in the right direction or when I need to take a U-Turn on my journey and recalculate my route. However, the part that is difficult for me is trusting this process. All too often, I want to know every step ahead and have it planned out. I'm sure this is part of the left over remnants from the days where life was out of control and I had no say in what was taking place. While that was something that was was part of my survival, it is no longer that useful to me in my daily journey. In fact, it takes me off my journey forward and keeps me from heading to my destination.

Yes, I've watched the movie, "The Secret" and "What The Bleep" and many other things. They are all great movies but in the end, our journey forward is not located in a movie or other new age concept or any one that says they have the answers for us. Some of these things can help us discover these moments of clarity within ourselves but to find your way, you must look within yourself for the answers. By cleaning out the cobwebs and clutter of your life, life will become more real, sincere and full of answers. Standing in the shadows of your life may be the necessary part to help you begin moving forward but at some point, you have to emerge from the shadows to walk on your journey.

I'm not going to write that any of this is easy to do. In my life, it has been anything but easy. It has been downright difficult. Often I have had to travel by faith that the GPS knew something I did not understand in that moment. There were times that I followed my gut instincts and intuition because it seemed right when in fact, I could not explain why I was doing this. I now understand more that all experiences we have had in life get us to the point where we are now at. At one time not long ago, I had no way to understand this.

If we put our destination into the GPS of our life and put ourselves in a forward motion, we will get where we are going. Yes, we may not even fully understand where that destination is but we can always adjust our route and make a U-Turn if we need to. We can always travel a scenic route while the GPS will recalculate to bring us back to our intended path. The best thing we can do is just keep moving forward and opening ourselves up to the roads that come our way. Knowing that everything we will need is going to show up when we need it is the key to allowing ourselves to move along our path. It may not be easy but if you look back at your life, you will see much of this in action and if it worked for you all these years, it will continue to work for you in the days ahead.

Further Reading: Manifesting Change by Mike Dooley


(c) 12/5/10 by Don Shetterly - use by permission only.

We've Got So Much

Sometimes in life, we look around and complain about many things. We wish this was different or that was different. Sometimes we subscribe to different schools of thoughts and we know that if we just keep believing, things will somehow change for the better.

The only thing is that while doing this, we often fail to see what is so good about our lives in the current moment we are living in. We've already got much more than we sometimes see. We've already accomplished so much of what we are wishing for. We have already changed so much of what we wish to change.

Yet, we are too busy looking for the golden rainbow to notice that the rain and thunderstorms in our life are actually offering to us what we long for. Sure, we may have to dodge the lightening bolts and the hail and find shelter from the drenching downpours of rain, but just as we celebrate a sunny day, so should we celebrate the rainy season.

Spend time today, observing in your life just all that has come into your life. Recognize what is already there, and what has shown up. Know that life is about seeing what is before us instead of squinting into the horizon to guess at what is out there.

Abundance Blessings

It was truly one of those days. Just hours earlier, I was really feeling pretty roughed up in life, struggling to make sense of some things. They tend to be normal things, but nevertheless they are my beloved and hated twins. Most of the time, I can tough it out, act strong and act as a man while muddying through it. This day though, things were just building a little too much for me.

So I had some alone time and I sat and talked to the angels, as I call it. Most people may think I am a little strange here or if they saw me, they might think I was really losing my marbles because it would appear I was talking with no one. Call it what you may or what you must, but to me it is talking to my angels.

Anyway, I expressed my concerns, frustrations and anger. Normally, I don't hold back and I just say it as I see fit. It is what seems natural and normal to me. I do remember when people used to tell me in church, you shouldn't get mad and scream at God. Oh really, well if God or the angels or the universe (however you look at it) isn't big enough to handle all of this, than they really aren't that powerful and wonderful in my eyes. I digress though.

So yesterday we went to check out a massage school. I wanted to make another contact in the area, get a small bottle of massage oil and check on CEU classes. While we were getting ready, a thought popped in to my mind to go to the store, Guitar Center, and see about an audio interface for recording music. You see, since I got my new laptop, I have been struggling to record music from my keyboard on it with a good quality sound. When I bought the laptop, little did I know that together, Dell and Microsoft and the Recording Industry, would try to prevent something as simple as this. I've spent more hours than I want to think of trying to resolve this.

Anyway, back to the journey. The massage school was different than what I was used to and no classes were in session but I found the massage oil I wanted and got some information. It was a nice connection but I really do miss the school I went to.

We then headed to Guitar Center and when I showed the sales person what I was after, he said, that is not going to do well for what you are doing. I'm like, ok.. so what will that isn't real expensive because some of these items get pretty expensive. He pulled out a cheaper one but it would only allow me to record one channel in stereo which wasn't ideal. Than I asked him, what is the best solution and he pulled out another which was about $50 more. I'm thinking ok.. I record music. I want to do this and I want it to be right. Of course, the business account didn't have enough to cover it but there's always plastic right. So I then wasn't really thinking but noticed I asked him if there was a discount for a couple of places connected to my music distribution. He said no on the one but went to the computer, punched in a few keys and said, I can give you a discount of $25. I'm like...cool. I'll buy it! Later when I checked online, neither of these music services I mentioned had any discount with this place. He didn't have to give me the discount but he did. I'll finish the rest of that story in a moment.

So on the way home, I got a call from a good friend of mine who works with Dr. Canali. I've been struggling lately to find others who are consciously aware of life in the way that I am and Dr. Canali is. I've missed him and my friend a lot and I just needed that connection. Right now, to make a trip to Miami, hotels are at the peak of the season and are extremely expensive. So it really isn't an option at the moment. Anyway I found out they were coming to a place about 90 miles from us this weekend to do a seminar/workshop for another therapist I know. I'm like...smiles, hi 5's and the whole works! Just to reconnect with them and be around this will be worth more than a government bailout package! I had tears in my eyes just knowing that I would get to see them again. These are two people who have been with me through so much and next to Jeff, they hold a very special place in my heart.

Anyway, I got home and told Jeff I needed to try the massage oil out. Of course he happily agreed to letting me try it out on him. I gave him a 45 minute back massage which I haven't done on anyone in some time. I was kind of amazed that I still remembered what to do but when I finished, you could see it in his face that not only did he enjoy it but he was relaxed. A big confidence booster it was just knowing that I still had the touch.

So on through the rest of the story. I got home and started to hook up the new audio interface to my computer not really sure what I was doing. Jeff helped me with moral support. And then it happened! I recorded the first sounds through the new device and when I listened to the recorded sound, I was blown away. The sound was so crisp, clear and of a quality that I had never heard come out of a recording before. It was beautiful and I have a feeling this will give me the added edge my music has been lacking. I knew it was missing something but I didn't realize what I had been missing all this time. I'm glad I struggled through this issue and ended up buying the device that I bought. It was like it was meant to be and I was just a little slow to figure it out!

As I was thinking though when I went to bed last night, so many things happen in our days and if we're not careful, they will pass us by without even noticing them. The joys from yesterday were great and were the pick me up, I needed. They were the confidence booster, the new insight, the revolutionized way of creating future music! They were examples of knowing that I'm not alone and that I have so much support out there. It was a day of letting me know, that they, the angels, are listening. Indeed it was an abundant day of blessings.