Greetings, Old Sol!
We’ve got another sunny, hot day on tap. Sun exposure, heat exhaustion, and dehydration are health concerns today, certainly while out on the water.
So, aside from being solely responsible for the paddling instruction and time on the water, being the solo instructor means moving all the kayaks and closing down the site by myself.
Totally doable, but combined with yesterday’s heat, by the time I got home I was done in. But, I’ll tell you what – it’s the best kind of tired.
I spent the day earning income being outdoors, doing something I enjoy, and sharing and teaching that joy to others. The people I’m instructing have signed up to be there. For many of them, this is an Unknown; yet, they’ve chosen to explore and play, to investigate their curiosity, and see if kayaking is for them. They’re excited – even the ones who are scared.
This morning, I’ve also been reflecting upon myself and the change that I feel within me. For a long time, I had my “go-to” list of things I knew I could do, and – I now realize – a much longer, subconscious list of things “I can’t do.” This list contained items which I labeled too risky and dangerous, but also things for which I had no previous experience or skills; activities at which I therefore presumed I would fail.
From “I can’t,” some things shifted to “I wish,” where I thought it would take some external magic or miracle to give me the abilities to enable me to do a new and unexplored thing.
“I wish” grew into “I want,” where my desires and curiosity were speaking louder, more insistently. I still imagined it taking some external magic to make any of these things possible, but I now wanted to invoke that magic.
Now, finally, I find myself at “I can!” I accept the ritual and practice of learning and failing, learning and failing, in order to develop the skillset needed to do new things. And, I’ve located the power (magic) within me, to open myself up to follow my curiosity and passion, and to persevere. Through this deep practice of risk and vulnerability, I’ve been so richly rewarded, with joy and fulfillment.
Here’s a Prompt to try:
Take your list of “Ten Things I Wish I Could Do” that you hold within you, and write them down.
Challenge yourself to create a Turtle Step for each, which would move you from “I wish” to “I Can!”
Please share one example of your Turtle Step toward “I Can!” with us in the comments.
Dear Guides, you’ve led me internally to new mental and spiritual heights, and I’m so grateful!
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