Transitions

The changes that come with the seasons often bring birth to new beginnings in our lives.  It is a change to start fresh or close a chapter in our lives.

Winter to spring is often quite a symbolic transformation, the rain washing us clean, sorting out the clutter in our lives, bringing forth new life.

If you live in a geographical area similar to mine (Calgary, AB) this transition may not come so easily.  Our winter often draws itself long into the spring months, teasing and playing with emotions.  The sun reveals its warmth to melt the snow away only to be greeting once again by cold winds and snow the following day.  This cycle repeats itself over and over and over again.  The relentless winter simply does not let go.  This fluctuation leaves us with a dreary landscape of half melted snow mounds mixed with dirt and gravel.  The world around us is grimy, unattractive and highly unmotivating.

The exterior transitions can parallel those inside ourselves.  Commonly we seek out change and wish for a quick and easy transformation.  To the contrary, changes often require time, patience, and multiple adjustments.  And during the process it is going to get dirty, grimy, and grey.

Take time to grow in the journey.  Be persistent and understand that it is okay to be yucky and grey.

Be Still

“Before you speak, it is necessary for you to LISTEN, for God speaks in the silence of the heart.”  ~ Mother Theresa

Busy, busy.  Running around, working, training, cooking, cleaning, working, working, working.

Faced with several important decisions in life right now, I find that I am simply incapable of giving energy to these choices, thus postponing them for uncertain periods of time- perhaps indefinitely?  The dilemma at hand is that I have no time to think and process.  Consistent with most of society, my life abides by the “go-go-go” behaviour and lacks serenity.  The Universe has been gently nudging me…sloooooow down!

To paraphrase what was so eloquently said by an acquaintance:

“Our life is like a pond.  In the busyness we ruffle we water and create waves.  During these times we cannot see beyond the ripples and the waves and only obtain what is on the surface.  Paramount to our souls, from time to time, we need to be still- allow the water to calm.  It is only then we are able to achieve clarity and look deep within in ourselves.  Only in times of stillness are we able to see beyond the surface and look to the depths of the pond.”

Indecision

I am currently reading a great book about the steps to a successful life.  It strays somewhat from the average self-help book in that it focuses on the thought patterns of the mind.  Taking responsibility for our actions, our past, our circumstances and our future was the first theme of the book.  Now I am reading the chapter on dreams.

Everyone has dreams, but not everyone has the courage to accomplish them.  It is easy to blame our upbringing, our current circumstances or pretty much ANYTHING else on a reason not to move forward.  We are beings of indecision-second guessing ourselves or waiting for the right time.  We allow roadblocks to easily stop us in our paths.  A. Andrews states, “Criticism, condemnation, and complaint are creatures of the wind.”  Indecision takes us nowhere…. following the wind of doubt or others’ opinions causes us to falter and stray away from our dreams.

Many successful people have faced challenges just as you and I do, failing and failing before realizing their vision: Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard and failed at his first business attempt.  Walt Disney was fired from the newspaper because he lacked imagination.  Christopher Columbus was denied by his own king to explore the seas.  Theodor Suess Giesel was rejected about 27 times before publishing his first book. Michael Jordon was cut from his highschool basketball team only to become an North American icon.  The point is- we are not the only people to face trials and ridicule.

The power to control direction is in your hands.  You have the ability to decide, in your heart, your visions for your life.  You have the ability to move forward, despite all odds being against you.

Go forth- Commit in your heart and move with confidence!