It’s always uneasily wonderful to start a new journey, a new practice, settle in a new place or start a new blog. ‘New’ is delicate, adventurous, beautiful, thrilling and uncertain. With me, as luck would have it, the uneasiness of starting to write the first post on this website was largely allayed and I could enjoy just the thrill of what was wonderful.

I owe this mainly to something I was reading a few months ago while in some corner of my mind, I was toying with the idea of this website. Suddenly I knew what my first post would be. I wanted to write about this path- about walking “this” path.

This path was what I had chosen to follow. I had chosen to change a decently established practice as a clinical psychologist, into something larger, beyond just myself-something that would take a life and form of its own. It would replace my name but carry what I stood for beyond me and would be called ‘Inner Space’. While, at this point, writing it all down sounds dreamy and all right, when all this was taking shape I had my share of doubts. My mind was questioning the efficacy of this heartfelt endeavour. In other words, I was asking myself if “this was the right path?”

Don Juan came to the rescue. I was reading Carlos Casteneda’s “ The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge”, lovingly lent to me by a dear friend. Here is one of the most profound teachings from the book:

“You must always keep in mind that a path is only a path. Each path is only one of a million paths. If you feel that you must now follow it, you need not stay with it under any circumstances. Any path is only a path. There is no affront to yourself or others in dropping a path if that is what your heart tells you to do. But your decision to keep on a path or to leave it must be free of fear and ambition. I caution you: look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary. Then ask yourself and yourself alone this one question. Does this path have a heart? All paths are the same. They lead nowhere. The only question is: Does this path have a heart? If it does, then it is a good path. If it doesn’t, then it is of no use.”

This was the answer to my questions and doubts. The path I wanted to follow had a heart…

I do hope that this piece is guidance for some of you who have choices impending, just as it was to me. What are your questions when you have a path to choose?

Those of you who want to read the book, it seems to be available in pdf format here.