You decide if the way leads upwards into the vibration of joy and love, or downwards into fear and narrow-mindedness. Your decision is determined by the nourishment you give yourself. Nourishment is the information which you incorporate, the people with whom you surround yourself and the thoughts that you think all day. If you predominantly take in information that has to do with suffering, or if suffering plays a major role in your thoughts and relationships, you risk becoming mentally crippled. If your food is invigorating and heartening, you grow in contentment towards the life that you wish for yourself.
Growth is inevitable.
If you refuse to take the steps voluntarily, life presents you with circumstances that force you to move forwards or change direction. That is the experience of my own life and the lives of those people that have shared a part of their path with me. This is a quiet joy which is independent of circumstance. It is not that explosive, exuberant feeling which you see on advertisements for washing lotion and toothpaste. It is more of an inner knowing, emanating from a state of trust that a source greater than ourselves is taking care of our life.