The paths we make

This morning I was pondering some things in my life that I want to do differently.  I thought about the habits that I have developed that reflect,  according to brain science (I'm not an expert), neurological pathways that I have formed that reinforce that behavior.  I realized that, in order to make the change I want, I would have to force myself for a while to do things differently -- even "unnatural" to how my mind is now trained -- in order to create new "neural paths," leading to new habits and behaviors.

So, my neural pathways (how I think, recall, react mentally) are shaped by what repeated actions I take. Or how I think is driven by what I do habitually, where my brain is keeping records -- first like lines in the sand, but over time they can harden into long-lasting contours.

Nothing new here, but then I recalled that the brain is not the only aspect of my being where pathways are carved by my actions.

My muscle memory -- my ability to react quickly, even instinctively -- is based on how I train my body.  All athletes, musicians and dancers know this.  How I move and react (and how well) is driven by what I do habitually with my body.  I can still pick up the oboe and finger the solo from Peter and the Wolf, though I have not picked up the instrument for almost 20 years.

My relationships are cultivated by shared experiences over time.  The nature of those experience affects trust between me and others.  So, how I relate is driven by what I do habitually with others.

Even spiritual truths reflect the same pattern -- karma, or "you reap what you so."  The virtues that we uphold and the vices we shun, in their healthiest forms, remind us that what we do and don't do has profound implications for our lives.

So our actions carve pathways in our lives.  Our own history is important, because it accumulates into a path we have carved, patterns that repeat because of those pathways, and even ruts that pull us back into those pathways -- unless we escape those pathways and create new ones.

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There are lots of things that can attract our attention and lead us one way or another.  Our wants and needs for belonging, love, provision, security, pleasure and comfort lead us to do things that could be good or bad for us in the long run.  That is to say, they result in pathways in our lives that we may like -- or may not.  Those pathways may reflect us with no regrets, like a beautiful portrait that shows us beautiful.  But they also may show a portrait we are ashamed of.

I think most of us have pathways that reflect both.

The question for me today is, what pathways am I working on?  And how does what I do today help carve them?  Am I giving myself enough time on the pathways I want to carve out?  Or am I wasting time spinning about and carving up a messy path that I will look back on with regret?

My challenge today is to keep this reality in mind, and not let my wants and needs overwhelm my determination to carve the pathways I want to look back on.  If I embrace that challenge, I am convinced it leads to pathways of peace.