# Notice your contemplation path > It's time to say our few words because tomorrow the soul sets sail. > > —George Seferis, from "An Old Man on the River Bank" Welcome to the path of contemplation! This is a gentle-seeming path of noticing and appreciation. It is, quite possibly, the most scholarly path of the three—the one where your learning is defined by what you *want* to learn, rather than what you *need* to learn. Though this path sounds pure in its intent to learn for its own sake (isn't it marvelous!), it also may be the most difficult. There is nothing prodding you or pushing you, or if there is, you remain steadfast even so. There is nothing you are running away from, or if there is, you refuse to bow to it. Instead, you are choosing to follow the path of your own aliveness, no matter what is going on around you. This requires close listening, self-trust, and the determination to blaze your own path, even when nothing and no one is requiring it of you. Adventure awaits! But first, it is time to quiet all the noisy external demands, and listen. Very closely. * **What are you curious about**, in this present moment? * **What brings you joy** or makes you come alive? * **What would you be excited to be able to learn or become**, for its own sake and not only for what else it can give you? * **Which of these things feels the most alive** in you in this moment? Spend a little while thinking through each of these questions until you have a sense of what feels most alive in you. You might want to write down your responses. This pinnacle of aliveness, while perhaps faint at first, is the first glimmer of the path that is unfolding before you. [I've noticed my path](2a%20Choose%20your%20essential%20questions.md) | [I need help](I%20need%20help.md)