"I stand here trying to fully grasp the commitment I've made. Sometimes
this inner work seems lonely and barren. I wonder what I'm doing here. I
long to get out `there' and get going. That's when I pull my hat low so I
can block out distracting worldly images and more easily turn inward. I am
training my mind to listen to my soul. I am learning to trust the ideas
that come to me.
"Because my devotion to duty, my studies, and other solitary pursuits
leave little time for anything else, I'm often identified as a loner. But
that's just a temporary stance, and not my basic nature.
"Eventually we all have to take off our hats and face our futures. But I'm
not ready just yet. My new knowledge is still too intellectual and not yet
an integral part of me.
"My task is to stay focused and learn to listen to my inner self, which is why my key phrase is
following my heart."
