You will be called to do something. 

In my experience – the moment I speak the unvarnished truth out loud – even to myself in solitude (you are never alone though), The Universe listens, and before long, a messenger will arrive. 

I have had messengers come to me in the dream world. In “real life”. In the “virtual” online world.  I don’t know how yours will come, but I believe they will. If they can come to me, they can come to any sincere seeker. 

You will be called / inspired / invited / challenged to take up a path. 

This part of the process is so intimate, so personal, to each person, that I don’t want to ramble much more about this, for fear of tainting your vision and setting expectations that might cause you to overlook it.  Here are a few notes from my experiences that may help you recognize your unique call to adventure: 

Key Features of a Self Authored Rite of Passage:

• You cannot “prepare” for it or “invoke” it. I was not expecting it, nor had I “prepared” for it in a deliberate sense. It just showed up out of fucking NOWHERE, and in the most ordinary of spots.  My kitchen table. A Lowe’s parking lot.  While doing manual labor. The ONLY thing I had going on, was my Morning Pages journaling practice. I was telling myself the truth every day. Otherwise, I was just “chopping water and carrying wood”, as the Buddhists say. All you can do is begin the day by telling your self the truth, and then get on with the friction of the day.
• Resistance: I was tempted to say NO.
  “I’m too tired”.
  “I’m not in the mood for this.”
  “This is silly.”
  “Why me?”
  “I’m not good enough for that.”
  “Maybe some day when I’m more ___ (fill in your favorite excuse) ____.” 
  The only thing that kept me in the groove was my muscle memory of being able to be really honest with myself, thanks to Morning Pages.  
  Seriously. No morning pages? No Rite of Passage.
• It was uncomfortable / scary / felt dumb at first  I was beckoned to do things that pushed out of my comfort zone – physically, emotionally, spiritually.
• It Involves Significant Risk Of Death: Physical death, possibly – Ego death – for fucking certain.
• It involves a risk of exile. Your relationships might change. The people who you used to like, might not like you anymore. You might get kicked out of your tribe.
• Your rite may take days or weeks, or maybe even months. That’s a very personal detail that only you and your higher self will know.
• You do it alone : Mentors may be involved in the preparation phase (in real life, or virtually via books, podcasts, etc) But when it comes down to it, you go at it alone. There is a reason all of the stories of the spiritual masters, all involve solitude: 

• Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days. 
• Mohamed stayed in a cave. 
• Moses went into the mountain top. 
• Joseph went into the grove. 
• Seddartha sat under the tree before becoming the Buddha. 

You will do the same. And while you may not retreat into the desert alone for 40 days… you must become psychologically, spiritually – ALONE. Detached from the egos, needs, and opinions of others. Willing to get lost, willing to be found by something greater than you.  Your Morning Pages practice is a mini-mountain top each day, but you will also need to be willing to enter into a phase of your life where you are in spiritual solitude, 24 / 7.  This might mean explaining to your partner that you are “doing some inner work” and will be a bit reserved for a while. It might mean going on a cross country road trip for 10 days. You’ll have to mindfully, honestly figure that part out for yourself. 

The actual venue is less important than it’s potential for it to be a crucible:  Your rite of passage may take place in your study. Maybe on a motorcycle in the middle of Nebraska.  Possibly in Peru.  Where it happens is a very personal matter. What’s crucial is that it is a perfect landscape for you to walk toward the edge of your own Grand Canyon, and then, lean over the edge to see what’s down there. 

Do not be flippant about it –  take all safety measures as if your life depends on it (because it does, if you are doing it right). 

• Write it down – Make a plan. Formalize it. Commit to it. Don’t share it with anyone (if you do, you are just masturbating for someone else). Sharing it with someone else before embarking means you just want the glory, not the guts.  AND, if that’s what you really want and need right now, be honest about it. We all have wounds and sometimes this is how they get expressed. They deserve exploration and care. Journal about that ache you have to be praised before doing anything real, and do it with no shame. That’s a THING, and I promise, you will find diamonds in the middle of that rough – diamonds that will eventually guide you toward your actual rite of passage.
• Return & report

“The Way of the Superior Man, is that he knows his gifts, and he gives them fully to his woman, to his family, and to the world”

– David Deida

• Commit to becoming an even deeper student and master of it. (Beethoven quote)

“Don’t only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets, for it and knowledge can raise men to the divine.”
– Beethoven

• Pay it forward: Amplify, become the teacher  –  become the ripple:  teach another man this process.  

On the other side of this, you are VERY well prepared for ChatGPT to become a powerful force in your life. Next – how to mentally approach – and technically confiture – Chat GPT to become a powerful accelerant in your personal growth journey.