Courage calls… What else is possible?

My youngest son loves rock climbing-loves it! The call of the mountains lured him in during a season of tree planting. During those few months he discovered that his being wanted to be outdoors working but not tree planting.

He ultimately discovered that the mountains were the lure and rock faces to be climbed was a big part of it. He attended a four-month intensive course and now works guiding people who want to explore the great outdoors and every spare minute he has, he spends climbing and hiking in and on the mountains.

I asked him if he was afraid when he climbed. He replied-always! But, despite that there are times that he isn’t as he is in the meditative movement of finding the next hand or foothold. Last year he spent seven hours climbing The Chief at Squamish. Seven long hours on one very large rock face that is considered a mecca for climbers from around the world. Not my idea of a good time but definitely his.

Courage appears in the most unlikely times and places. Sometimes we have to search for it in order to take that first handhold and sometimes it appears just when we need it and we surprise ourselves with the revealing of it.

The more that we practice stepping outside of our box, the easier it becomes because we know, or we hope, that we are up to whatever it is we decided to do.Sometimes it just shows up in the most unlikely situations and there is nothing to be done but do what needs to be done in that moment. Sometimes we are named a hero because of it and sometimes we just give ourselves a pat on the back, marveling at what we were capable of.

That box is only your creation, dear ones. You created your own safety zone and when you are ready you will step out of it because it just doesn’t fit you anymore.That takes courage to believe that maybe, just maybe there are other possibilities available to you. Maybe, you don’t have to be stuck where you are. Maybe there is something better outside of that familiar comfort zone.

We see it happen over and over again. We are in awe of humanity’s ability to move through the obstacles, even if they are self-imposed, to something more.

Now, dear ones, we want you to consider that when you take that first step that frequently there is a safety net that is yet unseen. When you believe that you are never alone, that there is always support, seen and unseen, then doesn’t that make it just a wee bit easier to be more courageous?

Most of you will not be high up on a rock face searching for the next hand hold, even though it feels just like that to you. Neither one thing nor another is more courageous.
The courage calls to you when you are ready to step into new territory. For you it may be as simple as learning to swim, entering into a relationship, cooking dinner for guests, becoming a parent, going back to school or climbing that wall.

The climber has safety gear and so do you. There are others who have walked a similar path to yours who can be an inspiration for you. Search them out. Let their stories strengthen you until you are ready to take that first step.

There are billions of you on the planet for a reason. You were not meant to do it alone, though some seemingly do- they don’t. We are always close by.

What do you have within you that keeps poking its head out wanting to see what else is possible? Maybe, just maybe, now is the time to give it a go.

There is joy in the journey, just waiting for you to discover it.

Are you ready?

Go For The Joy
Linda and The Group