Nicely done, LuCed. Another metaphor I have heard is that "there are many paths up the mountain". There are many traditions one can follow, but they all lead to the same place.
There is an interesting if somewhat long-winded discussion of evil as a "Catalyst" here:
Window of Opportunity. I don't know if the author is who he claims to be or not, but the parallels to The Law of One (Ra Material) are striking. It would be interesting to get David Wilcock's take on this.
I think the important thing is to keep seeking, especially when we think we have it all figured out. There is always more to learn. That one person takes more or less time than another is not important.