One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time. -Andre Gide
I admit to have missed out not on one but several chances to enjoy new places, meet new people, or savor the thrill of new experiences -- all because I could not wrench my eyes away or my heart from what I had at hand. These which comprised my life had me in a firm hold that I couldn't make myself imagine leaving them all behind.
It was Canada, Australia, or America three places which strongly beckoned to me in my youth long ago. My friends were processing visas and passports while I was still pounding at the computer 24/7. They tried so hard to get me to leave my 9 to 5 job telling me of juicy job offers and opportunities, exciting places, exotic people, land of milk and honey so to speak. But I wouldn't budge; I had my reasons. Until they finally gave up and so boarded their planes with sad faces-misty eyes on that final day and thus flew out of my life. Never heard from then since but thats okay cuz life often does that to people. I'm sure they're alright and am even surer that one day we will meet again.
Did I regret staying behind? No, for reasons I now know were the right ones for me. But regret isn't what we are talking about here.
But rather this......... (and this is also addressed to a dear friend)
---------------------------------------
When something you want very much comes to you and you have thought about it a dozen times over and yet still come out wanting it if not even more, I will say to you to..... go for it. Let go of sentimental mumbo-jumbo tugging at your heart or of the unyielding grip and unwillingness of people close to you (family, friends, sweethearts etc) --not wanting to lose you. Slacken the ties which bind you to them or them to you. This is all about you now, not about them.
This is you writing your own book of life and you're holding the pen to write it. You alone decide what you want in it or what you'd rather do without. You will give it new direction but one which you think will lead straight to your goal without needless interruptions. No one else can do that for you no matter how well-meaning others efforts may be. Nobody can understand the dreams you have in your heart. Even if they say they do, still you alone can and will feel the tug or the pull towards the direction you are being prepared for by one unseen hand and finally meant to journey.
So you must learn to let go, to wrest your eyes away from home and familiar shores or everything that has tied you to it for the past several years of your life. But do this with a grateful heart because everything that was had helped shape you into the person you are now and made you ready for this crossroads of your life. You may be leaving them and other things besides, but you are not saying goodbye only saying I will be back. Because nobody really closes the door to family and familiar things; one keeps coming back to it for reasons only ones heart would know.
Further, you must also let go of attitudes, perceptions, habits which do you no good discern what those useless frilly fickle flighty erratic capricious things are which served only to hold you back at certain times or managed to mess up or badly upset your life. This is the time to clear your mind and free it from that old mess. Take with you those things of value which you can never do without and shouldn't. Its all there in your heart. Prepare and be ready to receive new learning, growth, insights, perceptions, observations, new wisdom and experiences. Remember these familiar lines or something which runs like this --- "One can't put good new wine in an old worn sack cloth for it would only burst it; thus new wine goes into new cloth." Thus you must be of new mind and new heart to be able to receive new wisdom from the new world and life you are heading for.
You're moving out to a new world where everything that would come to you will be of wonderment, awe, and thrill. Well, maybe there would be a dash of difficulties and tears here and there but that too is part of the package. Its all for your learning too. You cant have one without the other. They go hand in hand and work their separate purpose in your life but for a mutual goal of turning you into better or best. Trust that unseen hand which directs the way you should go like it was all written in the heavens from the benevolent hand of one magnificent Supreme Being.
Now go, my friend....... go sail away or fly away to where your heart is. Good Luck! God go with you!
posted on Friday, July 20, 2007 2:01 PM
No comments:
Post a Comment