Mirror of Consequences
Hey Friend,
Aaaaaand, just like that the snow is back! In one afternoon and evening we accumulated 6-7" of the white powder. It's beautiful.
This morning I'm a bit compromised emotionally. I woke up to news that a friend I've known for over 20 years passed away. We weren't super close, but I used to spend a lot of time with her and her husband. I actually saw her last week when I was back in OKC.
Also, my very good and close friend David, had a stroke last week. When I was in OKC, I stayed with him. The impact it had on his ability to speak and understand is significant. It's disabled his ability to communicate effectively for the moment, which is unsettling.
So this morning I'm sitting here contemplating the fragility of life. Life altering scenario's and the end of a life here on earth, immediately forces contemplation of how I'm utilizing my own unique existence on this third rock from the sun. Is THIS my calling? Is THIS what I was created to be and do? Is THIS what I believe? AM I WHO I WANT TO BE?
I also am conscious that these moments ignite all these thoughts and within 48 hours I'll likely be back to the status quo of THIS reality. For the most part, I'm cool with that. I mostly like my reality. However, I'm also aware that the small unintentional aspects left unattended, can fester into an achilles heel for forward progress and fulfillment.
DOORS
My daughter is graduating college this spring. She already had a job offer... a ridiculously high paying offer at a great company with people who support her and believe in her. She turned it down for a variety of reasons. One of the things she said to me was "Dad if I choose this, then a million other doors close." I told her that wasn't true. We've had discussions about this idea before. Granted she understands opportunity costs, but she's more referring to the elimination of possibility. She aspires to a different kind of work.
Isn't that the tension for all of us? We want to live aligned with our sense of purpose and also pay the bills. We want to use our life for good, but also remain as comfortable as possible. We'd like a grand adventure but also a secure, stable environment.
Retaining a youthful mindset, like my daughter, that thinks "I'm young, I'd rather lean into risk than security while I can" enables courage, faith and daring to take the lead in our decisions.
MINDSHIFT
What if this week you took a big risk?
WISDOM
Do doors ever really close? Yes. Can other doors open. Yes. However, the guarantee of time on earth to walk through them is unknown. Our physical and mental ability required to walk through them isn't always a given. So knowing how to seize the day and go buy groceries - mixing the purposeful with the practical - seems like the best expression of wisdom.
What we all fear is making the wrong decision that will produce consequences we can't currently fathom. Consequences are simply a physical manifestation of who we are. They reflect our heart and soul. If we don't like the consequences we end up with, it's an indicator we need to do work on ourselves. Not somebody else or the world around us. Consequences reflect you and your inner life.
MINDSHIFT
What if you spent more time working on yourself, than blaming or complaining about someone else?
MIRROR
I'm confident David is going to be 100% restored. He's already getting speech therapy. I saw small signs of progress over the three nights I was there. Setbacks themselves are actually new doorways revealed. David's positivity and determination through this detour will enable new insights he's never had before. For us too, when at a place unwanted, what perspectives and understanding are we layering into our being?
Examine closely the mirror of consequences.
For me and my faith, death is the final and best doorway we enter into for eternal possibilities. Yet, as mentioned, someone walking through that causes a lot of pondering for our present time here, and how we're using it. Evaluate and consider the mix of purpose and safety you're navigating. Is it a healthy ratio between the two or do you lean into one more intentionally?
SHIFTING
I hope this week you kick down doors, live fulfilled and be honest with yourself about the results in your life. Let's make the most of the straight paths, detours, expected and unexpected - embracing joy and peace in the midst of all of it. #ShiftAway
