Where do Aspiring "Mystics Without Monasteries" Start?

Many of us have been going through some major changes in life-particularly in the last few years. It feels like we're experiencing the world very differently than we once did. Something has changed within us. We've opened Pandora's box and that cannot be undone. What has been seen cannot be unseen. There has been an assault to our previous selves and we must re-evaluate everything. What we know to be real no longer feels real and what we used to subscribe to as "knowledge" feels like only a fraction of what's possible. It has left us aching for a greater understanding and a deep longing to know what authentic wisdom is. There is a collective desire to fill the gap within ourselves with something other than shallow conversation, a fancy title or a new car. We are looking for something else. We may not know what that something else is. In fact, it may be beyond what our language can convey with words. But its something that feels like less of a distraction than the lives we are currently living in which the majority of our days are spent pushing paper, surfing the web for celebrity gossip and worrying about what our families and friends think of our decisions. In this pursuit of new wisdom where do aspiring "Mystics without Monasteries" start? There is not necessarily any right or wrong way to start the pursuit of true knowledge. Our main goal is to increase understanding of ourselves and the larger systems we perceive to exist within. We can begin by reading books, gaining new experiences, doing things that frighten us, meeting people from all walks of life, exploring places and communities and by surrounding ourselves with fellow journeyers-who are also curious and interested in the mysteries of the universe. Another interesting way to get into this explorer mindset is to channel your inner child. Children have this amazing ability-they do not subscribe to conceptual understandings of their surroundings and they are completely fearless explorers. Everything is a wonder to be investigated and thoroughly enjoyed. Tapping into this way of being can also help us on our journey to a greater appreciation of the mysteries that surround us in our everyday life. We can also dream. Remember what it was like to dream of what you wanted your life to look like? So many of us get stuck in the prison of other's expectations of what our lives are suppose to be that we develop Stockholm Syndrome. We defend the institutions that have made us complacent and docile within our own lives. We must dream of something better in order to escape that trajectory of drudgery existence. There are countless other ways to get on with the business of living-so let's do that instead.