The Crossroads…

Yet again, the title to a classic song, most famously performed by the band Cream in the 60’s and later a very different song by Bone Thugs in Harmony. Both songs have the word ‘mercy’ in the lyrics, even though coming from very different genres and era’s. Anyway you look at it, i believe life is a continuos occurrence of crossroads, each time you approach one you have four directions to choose from. The most difficult crossroads to face are the one’s created out of a painful experience, this is what i will discuss below.

The first path is moving straight forward, the safe already travelled road; the same patterns. I could put those blinkers back on, blame the world, become a victim of circumstance. This is useful for some; no need to grow and change or acknowledge the part you played in reaching this crossroad. This is taken by the sort of humans who say they can ‘handle’ anything that life can throw at them…. I’m strong.

Ah, then there is the left way; anger and resentment. So world, you did this to me, see what I care… I’ll show you. The only way is to make others feel the way i feel, then they will understand. Some are happy down this path as well, maybe they are destined to travel this path for a period of time. I mean some good can come of that as well for themselves. I have found the pleasure to be short lived and destructive, usually filled with selfish actions with short term extreme unsustainable pleasure.

We could also choose to do a U-turn and go back the way we came. Relive the pain and wallow in the ‘same feelings and experiences’. Live in the past as they say. Many who have experienced pain due to loss of someone they love suddenly, and have not learnt the skills to heal; live in this state for a long period of time.

Then there is the right path, named for that reason. Perhaps we are not alone in this experience. Maybe my life and experience is very much connected to everyone else in a unique way. Is this not an opportunity to as much as possible nurture that connection. I have learnt that the connection exists between even strangers that I was about to meet and that would influence my life in ways unimaginable. This path was filled with ‘magic’. It’s as if the more I believed in magic, the more magic was created. Down this path I had the ability to create magic for others, this ultimately created goodness for me as well. Goodness and purpose in the soul. It is reciprocity at it most core.

To take it back to those songs at the beginning, the right path is filled with ‘mercy’ for myself and for others, this creates connection and shared humanity. You see you suffer in loneliness but the pain and healing is shared when you begin to focus on the pain and needs of others. The connectedness creates a ‘healing magic’.

The Dalia Lama and ‘The Arch’ put it wisely in The Book of Joy, “we heal our own pain by turning to the pain of others.”