When was the last time you walked with purpose?
I reflected on this question for some time last month as I stood in the dark among a crowd of 300 people in my small community of China Grove. We watched as a group of Buddhist monks, who had been traveling for 83 days, waved to my wife, my four-month-old son and me. They were on their way to our local community center to spend the night before continuing their 120-day journey toward Washington, D.C. Their goal was simple, yet profound: spreading a message of peace, love and kindness, both through their words and their demonstration of a peace walk across America.
I spent an hour outside prior to their arrival, speaking with neighbors I had never met despite living only a short distance away. The monks’ path was just three minutes from my house, and while I felt fortunate to witness their journey so close to home, I was left with an overwhelming feeling of community after interacting with the crowd. Despite the cold, everyone was full of energy and warmth. People of all ages lined the road, laughing and holding flowers and signs to encourage the travelers. The conversations all shared a similar theme: how refreshing it was to witness a representation of goodness and peace in a time of constant negativity.
People were energized by the opportunity to share positivity. They spoke of how good it felt to track the monks’ journey and look forward to something outside the endless news cycle. Huddled with a group of men nearby, I listened as they shared their inspiration and gratitude for this moment. There was a sense of togetherness in a time that often feels isolated.
When the police escort flashed by in the dark, a hush fell over the crowd. We watched together as the monks marched uphill and around the bend, passing us with expressions of soft respect and determination. These men, of all ages, moved with a purpose I don’t think I had ever truly witnessed before. And it sparked the question:
When was the last time I walked with purpose?
How much of the last few years have I spent aimlessly walking a path I didn’t feel I had choice in? A path carved by the actions of people in power, which I felt I had no means to stray from? I thought of my son and what he would see as he watches me walk my own path. Would he sense my determination the way I sensed theirs that night? I didn’t think so. Not for a lack of hope, no. But because I have treaded with uncertainty the same path as I always have – before he even arrived on this earth. I was influenced by the negativity I forced myself to absorb daily just to “stay in the loop.”
Witnessing the demonstration of the monks and speaking with members of my town has filled me with a new sense of resolve and connection with my community, both within China Grove and to my county of Rowan. I feel driven to jump head-first into new experiences and learn new ways I can serve my community and myself. Most importantly, I am filled with a desire to have my work be a beacon of hope. Something that others who feel stuck the same way I did, and to continue to push forward against the cycle of negativity.
I ask anyone reading this reflection to look inward at your own path. What is pushing you forward, and what is slowing you down? How much of your direction is influenced by the world, and how much of it is the world blocking your way?
This isn’t to say that feeling slowed down by the current state of affairs is wrong. Rather, it is a reminder to seek other pathways and people to support you as you reflect on your own purpose. Because there are certainly many others within our community that feel the same way, and there is truly strength in numbers when it comes to sharing those feelings.
This peace walk is working exactly as intended. It is bringing people from all walks of life together in moments of love and inspiration. It woke me from a listless sleepwalk and put a little more pep in my step.