Conclusion

Conclusion – there is none. It’s an ongoing journey, an unfolding, a process of releasing, a new awareness, an inner expansion.

I have been writing about 7 points; Surrender, Trust, Patience, Acceptance, Non-attachment, In This Moment, and Rest. What now?

There is a new inner calmness, a sense of peace that I can’t explain. It seems that a line has been crossed that I can never step back over. In no way does calm equate dull. What happens is a new sense of freedom.

I remember saying to a minister friend that I wanted to be freer to be more me. He looked at me with a horrified look on his face and uttered, “You mean you’re not now?” Well, I was me but many times I stopped myself from doing something and other times I didn’t stop myself from saying something that was sarcastic, harsh or insensitive.

Yesterday I was with a friend, saw someone we both knew and was about to make a remark. Before I could even open my mouth a thought blared in my head, loud and clear – “What if his wife was standing behind you and heard your remark?” That was the end of that thought. Gone. Poof!

Mind you, it wasn’t a so called bad remark. It just wasn’t kind. So why give life to the thought?

What would have happened if I had verbalized the thought and brought it to life? Nothing. If I felt guilt because of it the issue would have been compounded. Two wrongs never make one right. (Yes, that’s a pun.)

I’ll tell you how I handled a situation I found myself in while driving. I was in a hurry at the time and a driver cut right in front of me then slowed down. Boy, did I yell! (The windows were closed in the car so I wasn’t heard but no one could mistake the expression or the mouthing of the words.)

As soon as I heard myself and felt the heat rise I stopped in amazement to my reaction. Then I congratulated myself for a totally human reaction and dove into the experience I was having. As soon as I faced my emotions head-on they dissipated.

I fully believe that I am here on this earth, living on this planet, to have experiences. The ones we label “good” we want to have more of. The ones we label “bad” we tend to stuff down, ignore, gloss over, or repress. When we do that, stuff and repress, those feelings and emotions live forever, grow moldy and stink. Not only that, they come back to haunt us because they have not been felt.

Surrender to the feeling. Trust in the process. Have patience with yourself. Accept what you have created within yourself. Be non-attached to the story and the results. Live the moment to the fullest by staying in the present. Treat yourself well and rest. You deserve it.

I would like to add that more than half of the walkers that were with me on this amazing Assisi adventure are still in daily contact with each other. We affirm each other, support each other and have the utmost faith in each other and the process of releasing, evolving, unfolding and expanding. I am blessed by them and blessed by you who are reading this right now.

Pace (Pah’ chey)
Peace