She came in the front door with a big manila envelope in her hand and a triumphant smile on her face. My daughter drove 30 miles to tell me that she had been accepted into an international studies program and will be going to college in another country next year.
Living a big life means taking risks and stretching into new adventures, even when, and maybe especially when outcomes are uncertain. For my daughter, this bold step into a bigger life just feels right, and so I can support it wholeheartedly.
It reminds me of what happened when my first husband and I decided to move to West Virginia so I could pursue doctoral studies. We were faced with a decision about whether to move BEFORE the University had officially put together my scholarship package and BEFORE Jim could find a job. The day we landed in Morgantown, we had an apartment, a life and a 2-year old daughter to support and NO official source of income, other than our slim savings account. We leapt into our new life with a spring in our step created by a certainty that this move was just plain RIGHT on an intuitive level.
One week after establishing residence in West Virginia, my husband had two job offers and the University had offered me a teaching fellowship position that was better than I dreamed it could be. Our financial concerns evaporated. I’ve been in West Virginia ever since....following an 18-year path that continues to unfold with interesting opportunities.
There are three things that my daughter’s delight in this new adventure bring to mind. The first is that it’s important to follow what fascinates you. The second is that it’s wise to be receptive and open to possibility when the flow in a particular direction feels deeply right. And, third, it’s crucial not to let fearful thoughts about a new adventure scare you silly. Common sense caution coming from love of Self is one thing. Fear coming from a personal mind that does not yet know how much you can accomplish is quite another.
My daughter’s bold willingness to step in this new direction challenges me in the best possible way to be open to the next new creative steps I can take in my own life.
Posted by Linda Sandel Pettit on 10/09 at 03:11 AM in |
(0) comments
