The Narrow Way of the ‘Road Less Travelled’

Not many people will read this article and more is the pity because more people need to know and apply its truth. It is simply this: it is only when we truly accept responsibility for EVERY decision and juncture of our lives we’ll begin to approach freedom and healing of the broken person within each of us.

M. Scott Peck’s classic, Wisdom from the Road Less Traveled,[1] is a masterpiece of pithy wisdom that is so timeless its echo reaches eternity. He calls us to ‘revise our [mental] maps’ so we can approach self-discipline and hence, mastery of the self. In this work, Peck merely expounds Jesus’ sermon: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14 NIV) The easy (broad) way is the road that many take; it’s the road of pleasure, laziness, greed, and the road related to the consequences of “now.”

The essential truth of life that everyone must work through individually is this, “Problems do not go away. They must be worked through or else they remain, forever a barrier to the growth and the development of the spirit.”[2] In other words, when we ignore or deny our problems we harm ourselves. To tackle our problems requires the tenacity of courage. Our problems are our problems--no one else’s. No one else can release us.

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Now the trick in blaming others for our own problems, as we’re so inclined to do, is we voluntary give away our power to the person or group or organisation we attribute for our problems; it’s utter madness. Peck says, “To the extent that they do not accept this they will forever feel themselves victims.”[3] It’s described as an external locus of control: ‘Things happen to me and I have no control over them’ is really what is being said when we blame others or see others as negatives in our lives.

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Not many people choose to be responsible for their lives, but those who truly do, and achieve daily, moment-by-moment mastery of it, are the successful ones; remember, success can’t always be measured in the ‘seen’ material life. Much of success is unseen... for instance the joy, hope, beauty and love in a person’s heart is a form of success that I refer to.

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Copyright © 2008, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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ENDNOTES:
[1] M. Scott Peck, Wisdom from the Road Less Traveled (Kansas City, Andrews McMeel Publishing / Ariel Books, 2001), pp. 28-46.
[2] M. Scott Peck, Ibid., pp.28-46.
[3] M. Scott Peck, Ibid., pp.28-46.