The Golden Path: Our Ideal Journey Through Life.
We each have our own right path, often more than one. Sometimes we stray, and other times we’re unsure of the best direction. Often, all it takes is a small adjustment, a gentle nudge in the right direction, or a minor habit change to get back on track.
It is all about the desired path between two extremes, a balance to create harmony.
The golden path is kind of analogous to the ancient concept “golden mean” described in many traditions and cultures. It has various names and interpretations, but in principle, it is the desired path between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency.
The earliest cultural representation of this philosophy appears in the myth of Daedalus and Icarus, who escaped from King Minos. Daedalus advised his son to ‘fly the middle course’ between the sea spray and the sun’s heat, a warning that went unheeded. Similarly, the Greek philosopher Socrates taught the importance of choosing the mean and avoiding extremes. He suggested that harmony is achieved by balancing contrasting qualities, akin to a mathematical mean. Socrates paraphrased this idea by saying that a balanced devotion to both gymnastics and music creates harmony.
In Buddhism, this concept is known as the ‘Middle Way,’ which emphasizes avoiding extremes to achieve calm, insight, and enlightenment. This philosophy is embodied in the ‘Noble Eightfold Path,’ which includes right understanding, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
In Judaism, the Rambam, a prominent medieval philosopher, attributes the concept of the golden mean to the early scholars and Abraham. Similar ideas are found in rabbinic literature and the Bible, often interpreted as advising against extremes. Rambam also emphasized that individuals possess free will and the capacity to change their characteristics.
For more information about references in other cultures: Golden Mean (philosophy)
The big secret to finding your
own Golden Path.
We humans on our beloved blue marble are unique. We each have different characteristics, personalities, principles, virtues, aspirations, favorite colors, likes, and so much more.
So one solution is not always an answer for all. Only you can truly know what will lead you to your golden path and what will help you stay on it.
The solution to finding your ideal path is quite simple, and it should be. Who really has the time and energy for big changes? Most of us don’t. Big changes are difficult and scary.
The truth, the secret, is that all it takes are those little changes here and there, in any or all aspects of life. Those small things we enjoy, along with the obvious, banal, or overlooked aspects of life, will ultimately create the big change we seek. We may not always realize we want a change, but if we make these simple adjustments, we will eventually be grateful. We will find our golden path, knowingly or not. Remember: small changes make a big difference.