The past month has been a hectic whirlwind of mental activity. It has been a time of busyness that has been both exciting and fatiguing. I am not unhappy with the experience, for much of the activity that has consumed my days has been fueled by creative pursuits, but I had a vision of what I had wanted this month to be about and it has not unfolded as planned. It was a loose plan. One that was not particularly well defined, but then many of my deepest spiritual insights have come when I wasn’t looking. So, I was not concerned about defining things beyond, just finding TIME to be more present with myself. In less than three weeks, I will be on a pilgrimage of sorts, as I and my beloved trek the Inca Trail. In preparation, I had wanted to experience a different kind of rhythm. I had wanted to cultivate an inward pilgrimage to a place of quiet contemplation where the hushed voice of wisdom might stir. But, this has not been my reality. Despite this, I believe that value can be found in exactly the path that I have walked, for there is worth in all of life’s experiences. As I explore this, I can choose what that will be. Rather than be frustrated by that which has not happened, I can choose to find joy in the discovery of all that I have lived and in the clarity that is borne of challenge. In this place, I discover that which I want precisely because of knowing what I do not want. And so, as I prepare for my exciting visit to an ancient Mecca, I know that spirit will find me there, because, I am open to her presence…