Change of Plans

Good evening, dear reader. I’m here. Only now I’m writing under a moon that shines onto towering oaks draped in Spanish moss. You see, I decided I needed to make some changes. This change was completely under my control. And it felt good. But it comes on the heels of a lifetime of change that always felt beyond me – as if a force was flicking my life like a toy; watching it spin. For what spiritual reason I can’t say. To test me. To see how I would respond. To see who would show up within me. To give me an opportunity for growth. Perhaps all the above. And I did. 

But there’s something about that kind of change that can really get to a person after awhile. That’s the thing with growth. The taller the stem, the stronger it needs to be to stand. And all of that sounds wonderful conceptually and philosophically, but it can be a bit rough in the undertaking. And yet, here I am. And here you are. Still standing. Still growing. Still slaying dragons and overcoming. 

In retrospect I’ve been able to make sense out of most all of the challenges that have come my way. Oh but I wish so many of them weren’t necessary. So I spent the day reflecting on why. Why is it necessary. I walked the ocean and let the brisk breeze speak. And They said, yes. But let us tell you why.

It’s not so much the challenge. Its who we are in those moments. What and who shows up within us. These things we perceive as punishment aren’t punishment at all. Its part of the deal of living on this spiritual plane and whether we understand it or not or remember it or not, which we don’t, we knew it before we emerged. 

This brought me little comfort. So I went deeper. Why is it we must lose things of value. Why do we sometimes have to let go. Their reply: It depends. Sometimes it has nothing to do with us, but it still provides an opportunity for expansion. Sometimes it’s because what we held onto was holding us back. There are times when the very roots we create under the belief of ensuring stability are the ones that tie us down. In other words, the reason varies greatly.

Life will change. Just when everything is set in place. Just when all our plans have been carefully crafted. It happens to us all. Sometimes we are the one who get to spin things and completely pull up roots. And maybe that’s what we need to do every now and again. Something out of the norm. Something unexpected, unplanned. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we aren’t as passive as we believe. And the calendar is a tool, it holds no guarantee. So take stock of how you feel now. What’s working. What’s not. What is it you’ve been waiting to do. And maybe you can’t do all that you want just yet. That’s okay. Take baby steps. Tiny little increments that have a way of shifting your vibration dramatically.

So whether you’ve changed your plans or Life has changed them for you – keep walking. I’ll be walking with you.

Sane

PS I’ve decided to take the next year to live a nomadic life. Thus far I have explored the peculiar islands lining the Georgia coast, stared at an armadillo, had lunch with some wild horses. Caught a wicked bout of covid. Had my tarot cards read in Savannah. Got pulled over by a Georgia State Trooper. And met an exceptional person who reminded me that we shouldn’t wait on life.

Roadtrip

Copyrights unknown.

If you would like this new year to be different from the last, then something must change. Most likely, that something is you. So, as you look forward, and give thought to the year that lies ahead, think about what you are bringing into it.

Are you bringing the same beliefs, the same habits, the same self-talk and expectations? If they have not been yielding the results that most please you – then now is the time to leave them behind.

Dear reader, beyond anything you set off to do today, make time to reflect. Do so with an open mind. Be honest with yourself. You need not share any of what you discover with anyone. But do look over the life you’ve lived thus far. It is a history book full of information. It is the history of you, and provides great insight as to how you arrived where you are now. And if you choose to continue on as you have, then instead of a history book, it becomes a road map – and your final destination will look very similar to how it looks today.

So look around. If your heart is aching for change, then look inward. What baggage have you been taking with you from year to year. Set by the roadside those things that no longer serve you. Now stand back and look at your vehicle. What has been your mode of transportation all these many years. Please note, that vehicle is you. Is it taking you where you want to go? Is it in good operating condition?

If not, then consider this: let your forward movements be determined less by the voice of your mind and more by the voice of your inner being. When we choose to trust, when we choose to set by the roadside all of our fears – then our trajectory changes. No longer are we keeping ourselves spinning in circles, but instead we get to motor in the direction of things previously unknown by us; opportunities and experiences once unattainable by us because we disallowed ourselves to go in the direction of uncharted territory. Our mind and the words it used to dictate our choices prevented us from experiencing the very blessings for which we prayed in earnest. Not because they were not there and waiting, but because we prevented ourselves from opening up and moving in new directions.

So, dear reader, take this moment to loosen the ties that bind. Use this time to set aside the heavy, constricted, fear-based baggage that has weighed you down. Fix what’s broken. Clear your mind. Open your heart, and get back in the car and drive. This time, let the Divine take the wheel. It knows where you want to go. Trust and allow that once we stop preventing it, the Heavens will take you there.

Sane

What Lies Ahead

http://www.onewed.com

Over the last four years, from this house, I’ve written two and a half novels, three children’s chapter books, twenty-three children stories and 384 blog posts. It’ll be odd writing from any other location. Yet I’m curious about my new surroundings. More so, I’m curious to see how it’ll influence my writing.

I’m hesitant to speak on behalf of other writers, but as for me, all that’s within me and all that surrounds me enters into my writing; sometimes only the essence, at other times through example. Life always offers a bounty from which to draw. Some things good. Some things not so good. So as I sit here, my house near empty, my desk with drawers no longer filled, I wonder about this change ahead.

There are those that profess all change to be good. I don’t necessarily agree. Perhaps all change is necessary though, often on a level beyond our understanding. I have sat and watched change that upheaved my world and caused pain to those I love. On a spiritual level this may have been needed, but it wasn’t good. Sometimes change is the uprooting of emotional-mass that creates the mountain over which we’re intended to climb. Watching the uprooting, then having to climb it, are arduous tasks, both from the viewpoint of the ego and the soul. I say best not to do it while weighed down. Best not to live life weighed down.

This change for me is good. And once the labor of it is complete, I’ll embrace it in full. And to the extent that I can, I’m even trying to embrace the labor of packing and sorting. One shouldn’t be weighed down by unnecessary things. I dare say should disaster strike and mankind forced to run for the hills, I now know where my running shoes are located. In fact, I know where all my things are located. It wasn’t that way a month ago – and it should’ve been. It’s important to be streamlined. It’s important to not let one’s belongings grow to unmanageable proportions. Life easily sneaks up on us, we get busy, and clutter ensues. The same is true of our mind. The same is true of our emotional being.

So with this change I’m streamlining the all of me. And I encourage you to do the same. Whether change is before you or you are in the place you’ll be until your final day, sort through the all of you. Create order. The space you’ll create within your home, your mind and your heart will astound you. Suddenly you’ll take wider breaths, and your mind will lighten. And although it won’t remove the stress from your life, it will ease your burden by removing those things that no longer have a purpose.  I don’t believe I need twenty boxes of binder clips in assorted sizes. As I only now discovered them, I must not have needed them. I also don’t think I need photos in triplicate. Nor do I need Tupperware that has long since divorced its lid; the lid having run off long ago. More importantly, I no longer need to carry with me emotions that prevent me from stepping into my true self; doubts that muffle my true voice. I must also set aside the scars from my past, and a history that served its purpose but has a weight too heavy to bear. I can also let go of my guarded tendencies. Once dropped, my hands become free. We all need to let go if ever to embrace something new. And the truth is, that which lies ahead is often far better than that which we were reluctant to release.

If you do not hear from me, know that I am here – just busy creating a new nest, a new perch from which to view the world and write. But with a lighter load and free hands. In my brief absence I hope you will do the same.

Sane