Greetings! It has been some time since my last Messages from the Tide Pool and I hope this finds you all well. Big change was afoot for me leading into the summer that called for a pause, but beautifully provided the inspiration for this Message from the Tide Pool.
The fog blankets the shoreline on an early September morning, common this time of year along the coast. Do we venture out on our paddleboards as planned, or abandon the idea? Of course there are increased risks or hazards to be aware of. With safety and navigation tools in hand, we set out into an area we are very familiar with.
But the fog has obscured this familiarity; the landmarks have all but disappeared and have morphed into unrecognizable forms as though magically created by Khaos, the ancient Goddess of mist and fog. We paddle on, our eyes constantly adjusting to the appearance and disappearance of shapes before us as the fog thickens and dissipates, thickens and dissipates. There is a shift from our practical navigation skills, to calling upon our other senses.
Hearing is elevated, listening for foghorns, grunts of harbour seals, and shrill calls of oyster catchers, to name a few of the sounds that help us grasp our bearings relative to lighthouses, boats and small islets. Then there is the sense of trust; trusting one’s inner knowing of where they are in this world, in the ‘right’ place.
Then it happens. Like passing through to the other side of a veil, we find ourselves in a magnificent opening, clear of all fog and the morning sun ablaze. It is stunning. Looking back toward the shore, completely enveloped in fog, the contrast is stark. The journey offered us amazing marine wildlife encounters including a small pod of harbour porpoises otherwise never to be experienced had we stayed tethered to the shore.
The metaphor of this experience is profound for me. Staying tethered to the familiar on one side of the veil, while the unfamiliar and unknown wait on the other side. Recently in my own life I finally took the courageous step to untether myself from the side of the veil that was keeping me from living a better life I knew was possible, and walked to the other side taking with me tools already acquired from life experiences, but most importantly trust that when I emerged on the other side I would know what next step to take. From there another step to take would be realized, then another, and another, until I could see that a beautiful new life path was forming, created by my courage to step into the unknown.
Can we change our perspective from fear of and resistance to the unknown to curiosity of life’s mysterious veil offering us something beautiful in exchange for trusting and moving into the unfamiliar?
What mysterious veil is beckoning you to walk through for a brighter, better quality life?
(A side note… I am currently conducting a survey related to the big change I mentioned that concerns women leaving their conventional job in order to create a better quality life. If this speaks to you, please take a look and consider forwarding to anyone you know who might be suited to complete the survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LZC8BF2)