I’m BAAAAAACCKK!! Yep! Took a little hiatus, and I have to confess… I felt a bit guilty cause that's how I roll.
Graduations, guests, and other goings sucked up my time.Family and fun took priority… if you follow us much, then you know about the ‘F’s importance.Hence, the difficult but necessary decision to say ‘F’ it to the newsletter for a bit!
What follows is my AHA moment this morning journaling for my daily lesson with Mel Robbins coaching program. Mel talks about the “Metaphor of the Bridge”.
Life changes are like driving a car across a bridge to a destination sometimes unknown.
We freak out about the height, the drop, the wind blowing the car, and grip the wheel as we hopefully helicopter to the other side.
But the bridge crossing is the metaphor for change and we MUST embrace each scary inch across and learn to release our grip, breathe, and keep moving forward.
WOW did this lesson hit me to the core. I feel like I travel on bridges MOST of the time but, for
NOW, this is my bridge:
I am currently somewhere in the middle(?) of this life changing one.Here’s what I wrote:
The last two years have been filled with continuous changes and life transformation in ALL areas of my life. We sold the family 'forever' home of 30 years, moved from OR to FL just 8 months ago, lost family, lost a couple beloved pets, lost/quit jobs.
I retired, we left friends, and our faith community, and sold almost everything. My health tanked mentally and I had two joint surgeries as well…
This sucker is LONG and I still can't see the other side. As a control freak, I have been trying to teleport myself to the end. I want EVERYTHING fixed, figured out, and done instantly because I think that will give me comfort and peace.
I want ALL my health back NOW, I want my house decorated yesterday, I want all the social networks in place today, and to feel all the comforts of 30 years of an established life.
I have had to pull over and park the car a few times, having a few emotional breakdowns, and tears that literally clouded my eyes so much I couldn't see to drive.
I'm FINALLY learning to enjoy the view, let the wind blow my hair, be dazzled by the scenic sunsets along the way and let go of the steering wheel a bit. The biggest lesson I am learning from LAUNCH and Mel and the chat community is that it’s ALL about the JOURNEY and what it teaches us… not the destination so much.
Today’s journal prompt: Describe a time that you did something even though you were scared.
Ironically, the first thing that popped into my head was a time that also involved a frickin’ bridge from hell.
Tim and I were on a medical mission trip in the jungles of the Philippines.We were with a small team including some guides, hiking to 3 villages that had never had a medical team/personnel ever come into their very remote locations.
One night as darkness set in and the team split, we were alone, our guides nowhere to be seen. Tim and I were literally following the rice paddy trail to nowhere.
Mental fatigue and moderate angst accompanied our disorientation.
Physical fatigue washed over both hammies and quads.
With packs on our backs, we ascended/descended endless death defying jungle terraces.
In the tunnel of darkness and unknown when you think it couldn't get worse, we were greeted by a terrifying, rickety, ancient swinging bridge across a canyon.It was made from WW2 ties and decaying wood.
We had NO IDEA where we were going, whether it was the right path and I was SURE I was going to render our two precious darlings back home parentless.I may have sat down and cried a few times along this journey, said multiple prayers, and asked for angels to take me away.
Staying in place was not an option, we were not equipped to sleep on the side of a mountain on a wet, slippery, skinny rice paddy trail.
With strength, courage and faith we (okay maybe mostly me) sucked up every LAST bit of mental and physical energy that was left in our entire being.
With intentional laser focus that became a guiding force we just kept going. Of course it was JUST after that change of attitude that we turned the corner and there was camp and the end to our hellish experience.
Just when you think you won’t make it, you do. Turns out, we were NEVER far from the rest of the crew or our guides all along the way, we just felt alone and lost and in danger.
The exhilaration afterwards was bizarre— an unprecedented adrenaline dump— but mostly I was awash with emotions and a reminder that we have WAY more courage and ability than we can EVER imagine until we are FORCED to tackle the scariest things in life.
Bridges are crossed one scary step at a time.
I’m in a season where God has a lot to teach me apparently. Life has brought me to a travel destination that requires me to drive across this record breaking beast.
I'm gonna be a butterfly when I reach the otherside!
PS: this is the longest bridge in the world— any guesses??
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