Finish Line

Sometimes it’s right there in front of you, other times we can see it through the thick fog ahead and then there are times we have no idea when or where it is… but it’s out there. Are the finish lines that are out of sight always the most challenging? Or are they the ones that push us, build us and create who we are. This doesn’t mean that the short ones should be deemed easy… these teach us patience and control… and the ones that are cloudy have their own lesson; overcoming and pushing through. Each one of us is on our own variety of journeys heading  towards many different finish lines. Some happen at the same time and others are spread out. The important thing to remember is sometimes we choose our paths but other times they are out of our control. Either way we are always working to reach the end… mix it up… run, walk, skip go backwards, go off the path feel the rough rocks, the smooth pavement, the cushioning yet soft sand, the fine yet dense snow, the flat ground, hills steady or steep….

Feel the rain, sun, snow and the bitter cold. It’s all part of the journey…

Lights Out

Something happens in darkness. It triggers a calm state but at the same time a feeling of fear and unknown. What’s out there? Who is out there? Where is out there? How far does the space go? That is the beauty of dark space… we explore, we move forward with confidence and with fear.  Exploring the unknown space before us is sometimes familiar and other times unfamiliar. But our adrenaline starts to rise and we move forward looking for what is next in the darkness… because when it is dark out we don’t’ have a choice.

What if we acted like this all the time? Just went for what is out there even though we didn’t know what was in front of us, obstacles, bumps in the road, another person, or maybe nothing is there, just space. Live life without fear but be aware of fear. Plunge forward go for the unknown; take a risk, who cares if we fall down, that is when we learn. Act like it is dark around you and be yourself, what if you lived your life like no one was watching? Think about the power that you would bring into your being.

Enjoy life in the light and be who you are in the dark. 

The feeling when you get a...

Strike.

That feeling that comes over you when you get ready to throw your first ball down the bowling lane…excitement, fear, embarrassment…its like everyone is watching. We are all scared that we are going to strike out. Its normal. That is why when we are kids adults put bumpers on the lane for us. No matter how badly we bowl they set us up for success and the ball will not be rolling down the gutter. As we grow older there are no more bumpers. The chance of rolling a gutter ball becomes greater. And even more metaphorically, the more we ‘roll the ball’ or ‘take the chances’ the higher the probability that we throw a gutter ball or a strike. So… fear striking out…

Keep rolling the ball, you will eventually hit a strike, it’s all about perseverance.

When bowling the ball down the lane… what pin is it going to hit? We tend to always focus on the front top pin… what about all the pins surrounding it, especially the ones in the back. I look at the ball like a metaphor for emotion. The pins are the people, places and things that we explode on… the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s easy to hit the front pin… but we have to dig deeper or roll the ball harder to hit the pins in the back.

What is great about the relationship between the bowling ball and its pins? The pins get right back up, they stand up straight and patiently waiting for the next ball to come plunging down the lane… and the ball, it keeps on rolling embracing failure or success.

Interaction, working together and continuing to ROLL the ball down the lane; into the pins (whether we are afraid of striking out or not), into the front pin.

Hit all ten pins and raise your hands up and cheer!