Silent Companions

The road to self discovery is one that is best forged alone. Some journeys are meant to be done in solitude and finding yourself is one of them. This is because you can only discover your truest nature by going deep into your own stillness. Only through listening to the quiet can your own voice of wisdom emerge.

However, I have also discovered that once you set out in this path, you are never, and will never, be truly alone. Once you begin asking your questions, answers will come from unexpected sources. Once you have expressed your sincere desire to evolve to the universe, the universe will give you back the answers. The key is to be mindful and open to everything and anything that unfolds around you.

My own path started to reveal itself to me through one of my greatest passions – words.

I am a great lover of words. I have always marvelled at the power and influence that skilfully crafted speeches, essays or discourse have over the collective population. I have always lost myself in books. Books had the power to bring my imagination to its grandest height, to enfold me in rapture and stretch my being into raw emotions. It was but natural then, in the face of my gut wrenching grief and newfound solitude, to reach out to books for solace and guidance.

It wasn’t evident though. It took me a lot of rummaging before I actually found the kind of books that will help me rather than keep me trapped in my own misery (yes, those kinds of books exist). My very first foray was into Google typing “how to win back your ex” and other variations of the like - “how to survive divorce”, “how to get over your ex in 10 days”, “how to get over your ex in a week”, “how to know if your ex is still in love with you so you don’t have to get over him”. I read everything there was about these topics. I even downloaded e-books and PAID for them. Had I exerted the same effort during my studies, I probably would’ve graduated with honours and ribbons pinned all over my graduation dress. I am not saying that doing this is something wrong or shameful, it just wasn’t aligned to who I am and who I wanted to be.

Then I stumbled into David Richo…andI never looked back. His book “The 5 Things We Cannot Change and The Happiness We Find by Embracing Them” set me down solid on my right path and finally opened the doors to finding myself. How did I know that I finally found a friend? Because his words spoke to me. From the very first sentence of his book, I felt my spirit responding. My soul vibrated to his prose and I felt myself opening up. The teachings that he imparted in his book filled me up. I drank his words like a parched man dying of thirst. It was with this book that I finally faced my fear, and let it go. It was with his words that I finally let peace enter.

Armed with this discovery, I couldn’t wait to look for more people who spoke of a similar path to enlightenment. I looked for books that resonated with the same energy. And as I have previously stated, once you start looking, you will find.

Different names became my “unknown” friends. I held onto their words as if holding on to a friend’s hand. They inspired me, encouraged me, gave me hope. They made me believe.

In this post, I would like to thank all these people and their works that, unbeknownst to them, have helped this little soul get out of the gripping darkness and find herself:

David Richo: The 5 Things We Cannot Change and The Happiness we Find by Embracing Them
Neale Donald Walsch: Conversations with God
James Redfield: The Celestine Prophecy
Deepak Chopra: The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents
Julia Cameron: Transitions: Prayers and Declarations for a Changing Life
Martin H. Padovani: Healing Wounded Relationships
Robert Emery: The Truth About Children and Divorce

…and the list is, and will still grow.

And so I find that in order to find who you really are and who you want to be, you have to find those things that resonate within you. For me it was books, for others it could be another thing – music, art, food, sports, photography. The list is endless. It need not also be exclusive. It can be a combination of some or all of them. Find those things that make your heart sing. Find that which makes your heart soar. Find your passion and you will find yourself. I have found mine. I hope you find yours.