Walk Your Path

By Candra Teshome and Ivie Okungbowa

In the midst of Dell Rhoden’s life, he found himself on the verge of realizing his dream of becoming a millionaire by the age of 30. Suddenly, his life took a turn with a divorce which awakened him to the realization of a simple question, “Am I happy?”

Hands neatly folded, a perfectly placed purple and white polka-dot bowtie adorning his neck, the Prince George’s Community College Media Professor talked about his life. Although Rhoden was raised Catholic, which is a Christian denomination, he practices a combination of Catholicism and Islam or Catholic-Islam. He wore a hat in observance of lent to cap his tall stature, but he also attends a mosque. He also learns and accepts the tenets of Christianity. He believes purpose defines us and that adhering to religion takes on many forms. He was happy to share some of the wisdom that he has learned.

“‘Are you happy’ is not an outer question,” Rhoden said. As students, we focus on earning our degrees. Although this is a crucial step in life, sometimes there is more. For some, searching for one’s own purpose including exploring religion is a step toward walking on a path to happiness. Whether the journey begins with a religious class, or spending time at the library, or sitting at your computer for an extra 10 minutes in search of other spiritualities, realizing self-importance does matter.

“Everyone has to find his or her own path,” Rhoden stated. The idea of subscribing to a religion turns many away. Some view religion as an ideology that smothers life with rules and requirements. A powerful technique for cultivating purpose, religion serves those who seek guidance. Religion empowers us and brings us vitality.

“An individual journey should have teachers,” said Rhoden. Discovering your inner faith may require that you explore beyond mainstream ideas. “Practice in an open-minded fashion,” Rhoden expounds as he advises those seeking structure to research several religious texts. An individual and powerful journey of defining your purpose and discovering your faith is necessary. Otherwise, as professor Rhoden asked, “Why do we exist?”