“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being.” – Carl Jung

This reminds me of how important our decisions can be. They can illuminate our path, and help move us forward, or they can derail us and stop us from living the life we want. Our choices always bring us one step closer to who we are or one step farther away. Each question asks the same thing, what will we choose, the darkness of existing or the light of meaning? In truth, we all stand at the crossroads all the time, some choices are just bigger than others. Two things are always pulling at us, either we’re doing what creates meaning and purpose in our life or we’re living out someone else’s ideas. It’s only by facing the tough questions on our own terms that we can we create greater substance in our lives. 

In mythology a guardian stands at the crossroads. And for good reason, some decisions completely terrify and overwhelm us, because they can change the course of our life. These life-altering questions that arise from the depths, asking us to dig deeper, can just as easily knock us off balance. It is not surprising that the goddess Hecate would guard the crossroads. She’s a triple goddess, seeing past, present, and future, whose home is the underworld. Really the underworld is another word for all we are unconscious of, and at times it can feel like this unseen world is more in control of our lives than we are. That’s because all that remains hidden beneath surface has a way of steering our life without us realizing it. If we are going to kindle the light of meaning we’ll have to do battle with what eludes us. These are the times when we could use an unseen hand, the part of us that knows without knowing, to help navigate the waters. 

Being at the crossroads asks us to cultivate a habit of being uncomfortable, of looking instead of ignoring. It’s a barometer as to whether we are ready to turn and face what we’ve been running from and answer what’s been haunting us. There’s no doubt that digging deeper is a messy business and there can be many missteps but ultimately what’s most important is that we are engaged with the questions life asks of us. We know days can slip away without ever really coming to terms with these deeper questions, feelings, or relationships, in fact whole lives can slip away. Whether we are aware of it or not our choices tell the story of the life we consent to live, they draw the map of who we really are. If we look in the mirror and don’t recognize ourselves, it’s likely our decisions don’t match the deeper meaning and mystery of our soul.

The truth is we remake ourselves with every choice. The way we act and interact with other people, all we do and don’t do, forms who we are. We are constantly recreating our self and everyday we stand at the crossroads making decisions about who we will become and what kind of life we’ll live. But there is only one decision we are ever making, whether or not we are going to be true to ourselves. Whether we will become more of the person that lives inside us. That’s the difference between being real and pretending, between living and being alive. The quality, depth, and wholeness of our lives depends on our answers.

So who will you be? Everyday we stand at our personal crossroads navigating our destiny.

kb