March 4, 2012

The Stepping Stones Of Life

 
 
 Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture.  I'm one that believes everything happens for a reason.  Call it fate, or divine intervention, or whatever you like.  But, everything we go through and deal with has a purpose, and those people brought into our lives serve a purpose.  The bad part about it is that most of the time what we see and believe is our path typically isn't.  The way we hope for things to be, or think they will be, usually is not what is intended by the greater forces.  Many people and situations come into our life to prepare us for the next step.  They are stepping stones for what is to come.  However, we feel and believe the stepping stones have led to where we are which we want to be our firm foundation.  But in fact, most of the time it is just another stepping stone for what lies ahead. 

My point is this...sometimes you have to be able to see the bigger picture and figure out what it is.  Are you and that someone meant to be in that bigger picture together?  Are you here as a stepping stone for each other?  Maybe your destiny is not to meet and be together, but to be shown more of you who and teach you a lesson for the future.  To make you stronger and better enable to be prepared for what lies ahead.  There is no way to know.  Only time will tell.  But you have to read the signs and take the road that is presented to you.  It's rarely the road we think, and it usually causes heartache and pain, but it is our path and the path we were meant to go down.  

I am not a deeply religious person.  Honestly, when it comes to religion I don't know what I believe.  Yet, I do believe in the teachings of many religions as a guide for how you should act and how you should treat people in your life.  I think there is some greater force that has a plan.  All our decisions and all we have been through are part of what makes you who you are today.  It is all preparing you for what lies ahead.  Maybe you take the stepping stones to a final goal.  Maybe life is one continuous trail of stepping stones until you finally fall off the end and there is nothing left.  

All we can do is live our lives to the best of our ability, take was is given to us and make the best of it, and learn from our experiences.  Maybe along the way you can help others that need some assistance in finding their next stone on which to plant their feet.  Lend a helping hand when you can, revel in the joys, take the heartache without letting it keep you down, and realize that it all has a purpose.  There will always be stumbling blocks on the road of life.  It's how you handle those stumbling blocks that define the person you are. 

And that is my philosophical rambling for this Sunday morning.  

DV


20 comments:

Storm said...

I like your Sunday morning Philosophical ramblings.
And I agree--it is how we handle the stumbling blocks that defines who we are. I think that's one of the reasons you see who your real friends are when the crap hits the fan.

Anonymous said...

I agree. I love that I am still learning.

Anonymous said...

Dauntless Vitality,

I love the picture, but somehow found part of what you were saying to be upsetting. I think we have more of a choice in what happens to us and rather than let life happen to us, we need to make life what we want it to be.

To me, it's all about having a positive attitude, no matter what happens.

I'm probably misunderstanding what you meant. No offense meant, none the less.

Love,
Kitty

Alice said...

I'm not at all sure that I have ever seen, or felt any evidence of, the existence of a greater being that has a plan. But I do believe that we have a responsibility to treat those we come in contact with as we would wish to be treated ourselves. Basic morality does not require belief in presence of a higher power - just empathy.

sensualfreak said...

Perfect timing...just what I needed to hear. Very well said.

aisha said...

This post has {in my opinion} a Zen wisdom that i really appreciate.

Seeing things without necessarily judging how they should be, but accepting them as they are and flowing with that ~ not that you exactly said that, but that's the feel of this post for me. Getting rid of some of the "o, this is awful, this shouldn't be happening..." and accepting what is.

That doesn't mean we can't change things, it just means we need to see them as they are first.

{Forgive me if i'm just projecting my own ideas...}

Thank you,

aisha

Anonymous said...

Excellent post!

Some people realize that the person they are with, or they themselves, are a stepping stone. Yet, for some reason I don't quite understand, they feel that position to be an insult.

I tend to think the stepping stones in our lives are incredibly valuable. To think that I might have helped a person on their path is a great honor. I am very thankful for those who have helped me and those who will in the future.

If you really want to think deeply about this--aren't we ALL just stepping stones to each other?

Thank you, DV, Sir,

Dannah

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your Sunday morning philosophical rambling.

I think we ALL are each others stepping stones. Some we may stand on and with longer than others.

I enjoyed your post very much. :)

Fondly, Sky

DauntlessVitality said...

Don't get me wrong. I think we all have choices and those choices have an affect on the path we go down. It's a blending of choices and fate that lead us to where we are. No offense whatsoever taken. :)

DauntlessVitality said...

Religion...we could argue and discuss that for a lifetime in itself. I got another email in regards to this very thing. I try not to get the religion topic fired up, as everyone has a deeply rooted opinion. But point noted Alice. Either way, I agree and think we have the responsibility to treat those around us with respect and dignity the way we would like ourselves.

DauntlessVitality said...

Glad I could write something that fit what you needed for the day. :)

DauntlessVitality said...

Feel free to project and take from this what you feel it says to you personally. We can all see things a bit differently, so there is nothing wrong with applying it to yourself the way you need to do. I'm glad you can appreciate it!

DauntlessVitality said...

I don't think anyone, myself included, likes to be seen as a stepping stone. They like to feel like they are more valuable than that. Yet, life is different than what we would like sometimes. To me, what's most important is to take what is valuable from those around you and be able to apply it to yourself to make yourself better moving forward. I agree with your thoughts and do find it valuable for me to be able to offer some help to others along their path.

DauntlessVitality said...

Thanks for that, and you make a good point. Some stones we stand on with people longer than others. It can be painful when the time comes to head for another stone along the path. But, we have to take the good from it and make the best of the situation.

DauntlessVitality said...

No matter what, we should all be wiling to continue to learn. And it is the new discoveries about ourselves and our partners along the path that can make the journey so enjoyable.

DauntlessVitality said...

Thanks and I'm glad you enjoyed my post. How we handle the stumbling blocks is important. Just as it is how we handle the good times on our path.

dancingbarez said...

Thanks DV for writing this. It was especially pertinent to me and all the recent changes I have made in my life. It just made me feel really good.

DauntlessVitality said...

Most happy I could help and create a post that has such meaning to you at the right time. I'm always glad to know that I can positively affect someone with my writing, and have it relate to what is happening in your life at that moment.

Anonymous said...

Oooh, I definitely enjoy your Sunday morning rumblings. :) Hope there will be more. I agree, because of how we handle the stumbling blocks on our path, we know who we can lean on when the tide is high.

Anonymous said...

I have enjoyed your post and I just have to say that you are absolutely right. It is because how we handle the stumbling blocks thrown in our way that we can see who our true mates and friends are when the tide is high. :) Hope to read more of your Sunday morning ramblings.