Chad Hanson, forest ecologist and environmental activist, says about the Yosemite fire, “This is not destruction, this is ecological restoration.”* How can you apply this to your life? What do you want to restore in your life, and what do you need to destroy to make it happen?
One way is to use fire directly to change your life. Several years ago, I wrote every one of my “I should” judgments on individual pieces paper. Then I burned my should pile like a pile of wood. Clearing out these judgments allowed me to make room for something new. As I continue to burn away remaining limiting beliefs and to release the pieces of my life that are not working, more and more people appear to help me – from volunteers, to new practitioners, to my new boyfriend.
Destruction can be scary, but it is necessary. A recent quote I received on Facebook said, “Ships in harbor are safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” (John Shedd). I consider this an analogy for the choices I can make in life. For the last 20 years, my life has been about major growth and change, not about playing it safe. There are so many things that would never have happened if I had played it safe. I had to risk destroying pieces of my past in order for Songbird to be here today.
Here are a few of the major risky choices I had to make. I moved to Sonoma County 13 years ago. I joined Toltec Dreaming 11 years ago. I got a divorce 10 years ago. I became a business partner in my then-boyfriends’s art business 8 years ago. I opened Songbird 3 ½ years ago with a business partner I hardly knew. I bought Songbird’s new home last fall. I took a chance on a new relationship in May and recently moved in with my boyfriend. Each step of this journey required the destruction of something new without knowing what would grow on the other side.
Where are you playing it safe? Is it time to leave your safe harbor? If you are struggling to create what you want in life, check out some of the many ways Songbird has to support you. You may not even need to actively work on yourself. Sometimes just hanging out with the like-minded people in our community is enough for me to shift something. Our new Songbird Friday Flock Nights are a great opportunity.
* Press Democrat, Wednesday, 8/28, p. 3