Albert Einstein said, “The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery. There comes a leap in consciousness, call it intuition or what you will and the solution comes to you and you don’t know how or why.” A jogger was nearing the end of his run. Sand dunes on the left blocked his view of the beach and water beyond. Crossing the dunes would require extra effort after a long, tiring workout or he could stay on the flat road that veered off to the right. The scenery was less appealing and the easier route enticed him. Past experience had taught him to avoid pushing himself too hard. Yet, he loved to see the ocean. He hesitated, an inner nudge urged him toward the dunes and he chose to follow it. A spectacular sunset hovered over the crashing waves when he hit the beach. Humility overwhelmed him as he realized that in his moment of hesitation, he had listened to a Power greater than himself- One who could see around blind corners.

At each decision in life we arrive at an invisible crossroad where logic may dictate a certain course of action, where our thinking mind says, “Go right.” Our inner voice says, “Go left.” Logic will say, “Why should I go left- right is the way I know, the way everyone goes.” We might have an easier time following the dictates of logic, convenience or past experience. Or we may be cheating ourselves out of something better. If we take the right fork, our Higher Power doesn’t grab our ankles and say, “Stop, it may look easier but there’s a brick wall up ahead.” Our intuition smiles, nods and says, “By all means, if you need to crash into that brick wall again, I’ll be here waiting for your return.” As we sit in a puddle of confusion with cartoon characters circling over our head, that inner voice whispers again, “Remember I said, go left back there.” The next time we find ourselves at that crossroad, we may choose to follow the path less traveled and we won’t know why until the miracles happen. This is how we build the muscle of listening to the voice that surpasses understanding, the voice that will always guide us toward our highest good. The only separation from this guidance is the thought that we are separated.

Gandhi stepped off the train. One of his shoes slipped off and landed on the track. He couldn’t get it and the train started moving. To the amazement of his companions he calmly took off the other shoe and threw it on the track so it landed close to the one he’d lost. “Why?” They asked. Gandhi replied “So whoever finds the shoes lying on the track will have a complete pair.” The more we practice listening to and following this inner voice no matter what the outer world thinks, the more we’ll discover the beauty and greatness of our true selves.

The time has come for us to live our dreams, claim our freedom and align ourselves with the great awakening that’s taking place on our planet right now. We must choose between love and fear, learn the truth of love and the uselessness of fear. We must choose faith and know that somehow everything works out for the best. It may seem like we’re out of control and subject to forces greater than ourselves, but let’s remember that there’s wisdom in the events that we attract to us. God is always present and we are never alone. Dis-illusion means the end of an illusion. It means that something false is being undone so that the truth behind it can be discovered. Truth always heals and provides an opportunity to learn lessons that make us strong and wise. Let’s follow the road less traveled prompted by our inner knowing and dare to be ourselves.

Please write to Dr. Sandy Islands at sandyislands@hawaii.rr.com and feel free to browse previous articles at www.sandyislands.com.