I am walking in the hills and along the coast of Liguria, in Italy. A couple of days ago, I woke up near a small, rather remote village, not much frequented by tourists. I took a look at the map and set off on what seemed like a promising path.
I had only been walking for five minutes when the path degenerated into an overgrown animal track. I persevered, seeing the woodland ahead where I thought the going might get easier. My optimism was unwarranted though. Amongst the trees, brambles had taken over, scratching at my legs as I forced my way through them.
Then the path turned uphill. Oftentimes I found myself faced with a steep earthy embankment with no sign of steps or anything to cling to. At other times, fallen trees blocked my way. The air was thick with spider webs. And the brambles continued unabated. I felt as if I were the first human to pass this way.
I had a long walk ahead, until the next village and the next source of water. I had assumed that the walking would be easier than this. If it continued in the same style, I would still be fighting long after nightfall. I began to wonder whether I should abandon the craziness and retrace my steps.
I can be rather stubborn at times though, and a physical challenge can still bring out a brutal determination in me. And anyway, I couldn’t face going back down through all those brambles. So I continued.
After about an hour of this self-inflicted torture, the hint of a track which I was following met with another, well-used path. Suddenly, hell turned into heaven. A beautiful walking path continued up through pristine forest, without a single bramble or fallen tree to obstruct the way. My journey became effortless and thoroughly enjoyable.
All of this reminded me of the early years of my spiritual journey. Everything was so much of a struggle in those days. There were obstacles everywhere and nothing seemed to flow smoothly. Then, one day, a decade ago, when my effort had reached an unbearable intensity, without warning it all changed.
And since that day, life has been essentially effortless, and thoroughly enjoyable.
