Running Paths
By Deirdre L. Aragon

While training for a half marathon earlier this year, I found myself in the midst of a spiritual transition. As with many life transitions, this one came unexpectedly. It took some time, but one day I noticed that my physical training was reflective of my spiritual transformation.

I began my training at a nearby lake with a 1.5 mile trail. I enjoyed the path not only for the view, but for the distance markers. There is plenty of wildlife to enjoy, and every tenth mile is marked. It is a great place to start learning how to pace yourself. Over time, my endurance and training commitment increased. I knew the day would come when I would have to leave the trail that I had become accustomed to. I was not looking forward to this change, but I continued to prepare for it.

So, body-building may be applied in this body, as it may in any; that there are those influences in the experience of all which would be applicable to the life - or experience of a life - in the material plane, and that which applies individually from what has BEEN the experience in all of any given entity's development.
(Edgar Cayce reading 681-2)

That 1.5 mile trail became reflective of my spiritual roots. Like many people, I was raised within a spiritual community. I had established myself with an organization and felt comfortable and safe within its presence. I thought I would grow old within the community I had become accustomed to, but almost a year ago, I was shaken from my spiritual haven. At the time I was emotionally hurt and working through my pain, which is perhaps one reason I began running. Given the situation at the time, I decided to step away from the community I had grown to accept as a part of my life and as a part of myself.

Searching to fill the void, I found another spiritual community not too far from my home. I began to integrate myself into this new place through unconditional service. Today, several months later, I feel welcome in my new spiritual family. I have committed my spiritual service to this organization, and I feel prosperous from my choices and actions. I have come to view this major spiritual change in my life as a training experience. As I left one path, I was soon able to find another on which to continue my journey.

One evening, I ran 8 miles off my regular beaten path. To my surprise I enjoyed the new challenges and sensations as I moved across this trail. It was exciting to see what I could accomplish in those 8 miles, which were very different from the lake I was familiar with. I had to cross streets and wait for traffic lights, but I excelled at my pace. I brought what I had learned from my old 1.5 mile trail, and I applied it to my new path.

My old trail is not far from my new one. In fact, in one spot they are only a few steps apart. I like knowing that I can still tread down a familiar trail when I need to. These days, I enjoy the new experiences I encounter as I run. The same can be said for my new spiritual community.

I have brought the invaluable experiences and knowledge from my upbringing into my new spiritual undertakings. I am encountering new stepping stones and creating new relationships. Although I miss my old spiritual family, I know that I can still visit from time to time or when I
need to.

I completed my first half marathon (13.1 miles) over Labor Day Weekend. It was the perfect release I needed to complete one part of my life. I will continue to train and run, hopefully for the rest of my life. I look forward to the new paths and finish lines in front of me.

The next time I find myself on a new path, I will remember that the familiar is usually never far away. I will carry with me what I have learned and apply it to the new journey afoot. As a result, I may just be surprised by what lies ahead of me.

In giving that as might be helpful to this body in the present experience, the present environments, as we find, the entity should look upon those experiences - through which the entity has passed in many of the mental and the material aspects - rather as a growth of opportunity. And while these would not be in the future as builded upon the ashes of failures, those experiences in the past should be rather as stepping-stones for the future associations in this material plane.
(Edgar Cayce reading 165-21)

Deirdre L. Aragon is a Laguna Pueblo Indian, who spent the early years of her life on the Laguna Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico. Her paternal grandmother and aunt, who were tribal healers, taught Deirdre the wisdom and teachings of her tribe. She was raised in a home where metaphysical principles and holistic healing were accepted and practiced as a way of life. During a near death experience when she was ten years old, Deirdre was given the "mark of the shaman" from the Spirit World. Accepting her abilities, Deirdre has designed several healing techniques based on her personal experiences and knowledge gained through various sources and is an active speaker. She is actively involved with A.R.E. in Northern Virginia and has participated in A.R.E. Search for God Study Groups since she was a child. She has been a student of the Unity Movement for over 15 years. You'll find her website Noble Minds, a companion on the path of enlightenment, online at Noble-minds.com.