Here goes… My first blog post! It’s fun to do new things and my adventurous spirit has ramped up over the last couple of years. Trust me…. I still fight the “over-cautious” bug that developed over the years of raising 4 children. But, hey….. I’m making steps forward and I am enjoying the path I’m currently walking. Recently, I have started a Life Coaching career, become a grandmother, and have gotten a little more comfortable wearing yoga pants in public. Watch out world!!
Not long ago, our youngest son (21yr) randomly thanked me for allowing him to run barefoot through our densely wooded 44 acre forest. (It’s really a south Georgia slough.) He was so sincere as he described the freedom he gained when he independently navigated each barefoot step. Sometimes he came home with bruises and cuts and I wanted so much to tell him to put on shoes, but for some reason I kept those thoughts to myself.
Why does this stick in my head as I walk my own path of coaching and mentoring? Time is the best teacher!! It took him years to recognize the value of his barefoot experience. It’s good to be free to learn on your own and it takes time to process the journey. It’s exhilarating to run wildly sometimes and to feel the mud squeeze between your toes. It’s also incredibly rewarding to know that you did something right by keeping your mouth shut and allowing the ones you love to experience life for themselves. The lessons time teaches are usually the ones that stick!!
Coaching others through relationship issues has opened my eyes to the incredible value of allowing yourself and others time to process and learn. Recognizing the answers when they come from inside ourselves when the curious questions are asked, is an exciting part of the process. As the processing takes hold, the flickers of light begin to spark and illuminate the next place to step in the journey.
So today, whether you are an over-cautious parent, focused-driven student or a curious risk-taker looking for the next step. I urge you to run barefoot through the woods. Take a quiet walk, or sit still and reflect on the freedom of renewed strength found in discovering how far you’ve come and where you want to go. Ponder the strength you’ve gained and what you’ve already learned. Maybe consider trusting someone to coach you through the woods of life. Who knows? You may learn to run wildly or even mount up on eagles wings and fly!!
Isaiah 40:31, “ Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”