So many times in life I have found myself in the situation which I call "the woods." This is the in-between point which happens when you have left one level (or village, for this analogy), but have not quite reached the next level (village) beyond it.

As a motivated person, you know what happens in "the woods." You are all alone. As far as you can tell, you are neither ahead of the others nor behind them. You are just alone.

In the woods, you have few, if any, friends, a feeling of doubt, and a longing for some meaning and belonging. And what is the temptation at that point? To go back to the last village!

Oh, and do they ever miss you there! The people in the village you just left say things such as:

"It just hasn't been the same around here without you!"

And

"When are you coming back?"

And

"Oh, I tried to go to that next village once, but it didn't quite work out. I wouldn't do that if I were you"it's too risky."

So, you naturally have the temptation to go back to that old village, not just to visit, but to stay. Sure, those villagers seem almost simple-minded to you, but they also seem happy. They are warm, they have plenty of food, and their lives are predictable. What more could you possibly need?

What we can fail to realize in the woods is that just a few more steps further would have revealed the next village.

That's the place where everyone thinks like you. That's where they believe in your "new radical ideas", because they have applied them in their own lives and found that they work! That's where the people are just as happy as the people in the last village, but on a higher plane.

The new village is where you belong, for now. But guess what... you got it... there is ANOTHER village after that one, then another, then another and it never ends.

So, how do we deal with that? You may ask. I mean, if it never ends, why begin? Why bother? Why leave any village ever?

I'll tell you why... because the natural tendency in nature is to move forward. Trees don't just stop growing at a certain point and say, "I'm done." They keep expanding both above and below the ground. It is your DESTINY to grow, to move forward, to reach your full potential. Anything less will not lead to a fulfilling life.

So, HOW can this be done? It's easy... rest when you're weary, drink when you're thirsty, eat when you're hungry, but keep your sights set straight ahead. When you're not moving, you should be PLANNING your next move.

I know you will travel through many villages in your lifetime. I know you will keep moving forward toward your true potential. And I know that you will find your happiness in the process.

Remember, life is all about the journey. The map is inside you already. It's called your intuition, your drive, and your dream. Follow it. You're going to be pleasantly surprised at where it will take you.

I hope we meet along the way!

Steve G. Jones
Clinical Hypnotherapist