Journey to the Center of the Earth Part 1

Dear Friend,

Today, we have a very special post for you. Dear Friend is collaborating with another blog- Lots of Love, Seattle by Ariel Haynes (check it out here: http://lotsofloveseattle.wordpress.com/). We wanted to do something special to let all our readers know that our blogs aren't fading away and that the best way to hop back on the blogging wagon is to collaborate!

As you may have noticed by now, the title of this blog post is "Journey to the Center of the Earth." You're probably expecting some post about the classic sci-fi novel by Jules Verne or the 2008 movie with Josh Hutcherson in it, but we've got other plans. To the three of us, the journey to the center of the earth is really the journey to finding yourself. So how do people find their way to the center of the earth, or rather the meaning of their life? When you're lost, how do you find your way back onto the right path? The answer is simple.

You need a map.

This "map" will help guide you in reaching your own core- your own purpose in life. However, this map is not set in stone. In fact, it is constantly changing. One factor that affects your map is the choices you make on a daily basis. With the domino effect in mind, one decision can place you in many different situations. The way you problem solve and deal with each situation is up to you. Another factor that affects the creation of your map is your mistakes. Regardless of the size of your mistake, it has the potential to leading to all sorts of consequences, thus altering the paths on your map. And finally, gaining new knowledge can change your perspective. With an open mind, your map will start to fill with all sorts of new paths and adventures. Just like there are numerous ways to get to the center of the earth, there is a unique reason for why each individual was placed on this earth. Everyone's map is different.

Along with this map, you need tools to reach the core. The tools we've decided to focus on are the shovel and the rope. Sure, at first, the thought of a shovel and a rope sound like some tiring endeavor or like the tools used in a horror movie, but don't fret: The shovel is used to dig past the layers. Similar to the earth (and onions), humans have layers. These good and bad layers can help you on the journey to finding yourself. The shovel is used to dig through the bad layers: the bad decisions, the dark situations, the obstacles in life. You have to try to push past these obstacles to continue down our path, to follow the map. Sometimes, though, you dig too deep and get so caught up in the obstacle that you forget the goal of finding yourself. If you fall into this hole, you'll need a rope to help get you out. The rope is representative of your friends and family who are there to lift you up and support you, no matter what.

Since this post is getting rather lengthy, we've decided to extend this topic into two parts. Hopefully you've enjoyed this post thus far. Stay tuned for Journey to the Center of the Earth: Part 2!

"You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need." – Jerry Gillies

Yours truly,
Kylie, Catherine, and Ariel