When did you figure out that you were not special? You’re parents probably tried to convince you that you were, when you were young, but then you were thrust into a world without their oversight, school. Was your specialness confirmed?

It’s not our position that matters, but rather the journey itself that brings us our reward.

I suppose for some it was. Some kids just seemed to have that special something, poise, grace, confidence, looks, personality. They stood out from the multitude. In those early, formative years any differences were quickly uncovered, magnified, and publicized. Minor quirks could be grounds for disapproval resulting in a speedy transfer to the lowest social strata.

Judgement could be merciless. Even the occupation of your parents, or the activity or rumored actions of your siblings, could be sufficient justification for social realignment. The stigma of social disgrace would likely follow you from grade school through the end of high school.

Those at the top did have to work to ensure their continued high regard. So they honed their talents and purposefully exercised their popular authority. Some used their popularity to achieve posts in politics and positions of high visibility, which then reinforced their popularity.

Others followed the path of sports – basketball, football, wrestling, or cheerleading – to keep their name elevated in the minds and hearts of the adoring masses. They clearly had what most of us did not, talent. Who of us has not dreamed of being a star, the accomplished musician, actor, singer, songwriter, or author? And if we can’t, the next best thing is to be their closest friend and confidant.

It was later in life for me when I discovered that there were levels of talent. It wasn’t necessary to be at the very top to be recognized and valued. My rise to specialness was through computer programming. It turned out that I was, in fact, quite talented in this regard. And there were many adoring fans, organizations to be clear, that were willing and able to pay me large sums of money for my talent.

Finally, I had found the path to my own specialness. But something happened on the way to the top of the mountain of glory. My career ended. My talent was no longer prized. And I was special no more. Now I look back and find that every organization that I ever worked for has replaced their computers with newer systems and all of my wonderful programs are gone.

It’s not hard to find stories of stars who once held positions at the top of their arena but have now been long forgotten. Our talents may appear to provide a path to specialness, but that is but a fairytale told to the young and inexperienced. It takes a great deal of energy and effort to hold onto a position of special favor in this world. In the end, you’ll likely find it wasn’t worth the effort. Just like my software, all the stress and effort that we put into our worldly work will eventually be consigned to oblivion.

Might this be a reasonable justification for never trying, for accepting whatever position we’ve been relegated to? Surely it is worse to have tasted fame and lost than to simply accept your lot in life. Or is it? Perhaps it’s not our position that matters, but rather the journey itself that brings us our reward. The rise and fall may be easily recognized and measured by the outer world. The strength of our desire and our resilience in the face of loss is something altogether different.

In the end, it will always be that which lives within us that matters most. So what happens when the world fails you, when those outer forces attempt to banish or crush you? There will be times in everyone’s life, if they put forth effort of any significance, when the way forward will be hidden by a dense fog, perhaps even darkness itself.

It is those times when our faith is severely tested, when hope has seemingly locked itself away as if distancing itself from you is it’s only means of survival. But when is hope truly lost? Can it hide from our sight forever? Or is it our perspective that is at fault? Perhaps it is not hope that is lost, but rather us. Hope may appear to have vanished only because we cannot see its light. But that light is not lost to us. It is there, waiting for us to open our eyes enough to see it.

When is hope truly lost? Can it hide from our sight forever? Or is it our perspective that is at fault?

When we’re ready, when we’ve regained our strength, we will open our eyes. Before us will be a new path stretching into the distance. We may not know where it leads, though we will be sure it is our path. These trails are not put there for us to follow blindly, without thought or concern. They reflect the way of our desires, of our thoughts, beliefs, and expectations. We make the path and the path informs us.

Our journey through life is shared. We are never alone, though there may be times when we will question even the truth of our own being. Have faith. Seek the truth of your Self. Where? Always within yourself. Your Self may have been buried beneath layers and layers of the crud and confusion of the world. You may have to dig deeply, but do not be dissuaded.

Perhaps you will come to the same understanding that I have, that our specialness does not come from the world of accomplishment and renown. We are special because of who we are within. We do not need to become anything or anyone. It is when we find the courage to express the truth of our Self that our specialness will shine through us.

This is a shared journey. None of us makes it by ourself. We are never alone in the dark, no matter how it may feel or appear. Watch for the light. It’s there, waiting, patiently waiting for our awakening.