The Road Less Traveled
    A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth
M. Scott Peck, M.D.

The Risk of Independence

- All of life is a risk
    - The more lovingly we live or lives, the more risks we take
    - Greatest risk is growing up
    - Stepping from childhood into adulthood
    - This is a leap that most people never really take in their lifetimes
- Security
    - The only real security in life is in relishing life's insecurities
    - Children eager to risk new adult activities, but also cling to safe and familiar, hold on to dependency of childhood
- Not taking the leap
    - Are still psychologically still the children of their parents
    - Live by hand-me-down values
    - Motivated by parents approval and disapproval
    - Never take destiny into their own hands
- Leaps into independence and self-determination
    - Enormously painful at any age
    - Require supreme courage
    - Commonly result from psychotherapy
- Growing up vs. love
    - These leaps are acts of self-love (love provides the motive)
    - Love also provides the courage
    - Can tolerate negative feelings because, on a deeper level, we know ourself to be a good person
    - Only when we have taken leap into independence and selfhood can we:
    - Proceed along still higher paths of spiritual growth
    - Free to manifest love in its greatest dimensions
- Highest forms of love are totally free choices, not acts of conformity

We need to make the leap of becoming an independent adult by determining our own path and our own values, rather than living our lives based on values handed down from our parents.  Love of self is the reason for doing this, but also provides us with the courage to do so.  Once we have attained this independence, we can continue to grow spiritually in other ways.