Tips for Beginners on their Path

1. Skepticism is a good thing. If your bullshit alarm goes off, take it with a grain of salt. That said, don't dismiss everything out of hand.

2. If you are following a specific tradition, lesson plan or other means of learning, be sure to read and study things outside of the recommended reading material. Find out why the authors/teachers disagree and what they disagree with.

3. Don't worry about finding the "right" path right now. Just find out what's out there.

4. Don't worry about finding the "right " Gods either. When the time is right, if it is ever going to be, you'll find them or they'll find you.

5. Ask questions. Good teachers don't mind them, and it's better to ask than to languish in ignorance or confusion. And someone else is likely to have the same question, so you'll be helping your fellows too.

6. You're new, but you aren't slow or stupid. Your ideas may very well have a great deal of merit. Don't be afraid to voice your insights.

7. Don't leave your common sense at the door. (see no.1)

8. Don't be afraid to ask yourself hard questions, or to explore how others have answered them. But be honest with yourself when you answer them.

9. Enthusiasm is good, but don't be in everyone's faces with your new discoveries. Think about how you'd feel if one of your friends was suddenly unable to have a conversation that didn't revolve around their new interest and how you should really be into it too (whatever that might be.)

10. Learning some of the first steps can feel really tedious, but put forth all your effort into them anyway. They can really pay off.

11. Just because it's in a book or coming from someone who has a reputation as wise, doesn't mean that it's worth anything. Charlatans, cons, and poor publishing happens everywhere.

12. Remember that diversity is all over the place in the word. No one agrees with everything that they encounter. That's perfectly alright, and can be a window into new lessons if you consider why you don't agree with this or that.

13. You'll learn more about life by living it than you ever will by reading about it. Finding a Path is a process of walking and being involved in the world, and a Path is not the means to escapism, but the means to newfound strengths and wisdom.