Click for audio: The Sacred Step
Part 6 of 6
Step 4: I do calmly, without excitement, whatever the circumstance seems to require. This action leads to the further unfolding of other circumstances in the same direction. By addressing each one as it appears, I move step by step toward the accomplishment of my desire.
The story is told of Socrates being asked by a traveler how to get to Mount Olympus. Socrates reportedly said, “Just make sure every step you take is in that direction.”
While the traveler may have considered Socrates a wise guy rather than a wise man, Socrates’ answer is more practical than we might first suspect. Troward picks up on this idea of seizing the simplest opportunities to bring ourselves closer to our own Mt. Olympus, whatever that may be. Likewise, Jesus pointed out that even with the smallest amount of faith we can move mountains. This is a metaphor intended to open our minds to greater possibilities, even if our mountain-moving is one shovel full at a time.
Let’s remember that the life we have is the result of our specific thought tendencies, our actions and our overall self-perception. Already we have done calmly, without excitement, whatever circumstances required to bring ourselves to this point. We continue to do the same things to move to our Mt. Olympus, but we do it consciously. Rather than giving into the temptation of intriguing detours and dead ends, we make sure every step we take is in the direction we want to go. And we do so with the calm assurance that, step by step, we are moving toward the accomplishment of our desire.