This month, since I was traveling most of September, I invited my friend Uma Sivaprasad to share a few words in place of my regular offering. I hope you find her piece as intriguing as I do. –– BLR
Many years ago, I found myself at a crossroads — uncertain of next steps, feeling trapped, like a mouse in a cage. A wise friend suggested that I “become the mouse in the cage and see what happens.” While hiking later that day, I came upon a grove of trees and felt compelled to rest there.
In that liminal space between wakefulness and sleep, the trees around me began to transform. They appeared as bars of a cage, encircling me in a perfect ring. Then, each bar morphed into a person from various stages of my life: family members, friends, co-workers, supervisors, and others. Each person spoke, sharing opinions, judgments, advice, and stories about who they believed I was and how I should live my life.
I understood in that moment I had internalized the perspectives of others and mistaken them for my own truth. Though I was technically free to make choices, my inner beliefs — shaped by external voices — had become my prison. That experience marked the beginning of a deep journey of introspection. I began asking myself questions to discover who I am: What are my values, passions, purpose? Why do I react like I do? What brings me joy?
The answers have not always come easily. But by listening to my gut and following my intuition, I continue to move towards my authentic self — choosing each step with intention and trust. I’ve come to understand that the journey itself is the purpose, not simply a path to a destination.
FOR REFLECTION: Are there times when you too have felt to be in an involuntary prison by the expectations of others? What is it about human nature that leads us not to advise and guide but direct others as to what they need to be or do? How can we be more supportive of each other so that we all may become fully who we are born to be?
Top image: Pixabay/NASTER
Side image: Pixabay/Avelino Calvar Martinez
