Life Lessons:
To be on the Road we sometimes just head out. We put on our walking shoes, pack only the bare essentials in our pockets and go. No maps, no idea of where we will end up but the adventure and having no clear direction, compass or map is what begins this journey. There has been an invitation, and maybe even unknowingly, you said yes.
Then there are those times when there is something that is stirring deep inside of us that is almost a nag, it is deep discontent. It will not let you rest. It may appear late at night and get you stalking the refrigerator or wake you from a sound sleep. Your experience may not have shaken the earth like genocide or a Tsunami but it is yours.
Many of us may try to ignore our discontent. Some times it is not noticeable and lies dormant. It shows up in extreme behavior. For example, there are times when you are seemingly calm. Out of no where you have an abrupt response to someone who certainly did not provoke your impatience or (I know we shudder at imagining ME doing this) blowing your horn at the old person with a cane who is crossing too slowly in the cross walk in front of you. A part of you shows up wearing impolite and disrespectful rudeness.
That nagging voice demands to be heard. Some times I know it is my soul call. It is just like a call on your cell phone except you can't look down at your phone and quickly identify who is calling and make a decision that you are in a movie or a meeting and just too busy to answer.
The phone will not say GOD CALLING and give you a choice to let it go right to voice mail! What if you really did look at your caller ID or know the familiar ring tone and it said “GOD calling”?
It is unlike any other voice within us because it will not automatically go over to voice mail and wait until later. It will not take no for an answer.
The voice will keep at us and when unanswered for long enough appears as illness, injury, sleepless nights, drinking too much, shopping too much or eating too much, too late, in front of the TV you are not even watching. We may be cavalier enough to continue trying to ignore or even be so bold to try abolition! Abolishing these calls to another corner of one’s psyche (or wherever they go when we try such stupid acts!) does no good.
Ignoring the voice is like putting off surgery that you really need. Excuses are easy to find. "It is the wrong season, I am too busy, I can’t afford it, my kids, family, co-workers, boss, and lovers can not be without me."
After the surgery people say “I don’t know why I waited so long. I can’t believe that I was in pain for so long and I feel great now.”
We are on the same road. Why do we let ourselves stay in pain or deep discomfort for so long? There are often good answers to that question. We just are not ready. We need some time to be in the moments of our discontent. By leaping to action we are not allowing the seeds to winter and gestate in a way that will become a full bloomed flower in spring or that ripe perfect fruit in summer.
Some times the tendency to leap to action, to get out of pain, is as dangerous as not answering the call. Only you will know and getting to know yourself well enough and honestly enough is a part of the journey.
Maybe it is time to surrender to that deeper voice, the one that is connected to God. Maybe you do not use the word “God.” What matters is not what I believe but what you believe. Creating this Road Map is about claiming your own words. It is claiming Faith and Love and throwing your head back and laughing at yourself out loud and with a great “gaffaw” at being a total “duffus” for not stopping and listening and making that change! Humor will always be a saving grace.
”Love everybody, all the time, in front of God.” To begin this process I add this to Big Kenny's song, "Love and honor yourself all of the time, in front of God. Let that love be your Road Map and lead you down the road."
If you do not love what you are doing and who you are doing it with, hold that as a sign post to your heart. Our hearts never steer us wrong.
Maya Balle, MCC, CPCC c)2008
Then there are those times when there is something that is stirring deep inside of us that is almost a nag, it is deep discontent. It will not let you rest. It may appear late at night and get you stalking the refrigerator or wake you from a sound sleep. Your experience may not have shaken the earth like genocide or a Tsunami but it is yours.
Many of us may try to ignore our discontent. Some times it is not noticeable and lies dormant. It shows up in extreme behavior. For example, there are times when you are seemingly calm. Out of no where you have an abrupt response to someone who certainly did not provoke your impatience or (I know we shudder at imagining ME doing this) blowing your horn at the old person with a cane who is crossing too slowly in the cross walk in front of you. A part of you shows up wearing impolite and disrespectful rudeness.
That nagging voice demands to be heard. Some times I know it is my soul call. It is just like a call on your cell phone except you can't look down at your phone and quickly identify who is calling and make a decision that you are in a movie or a meeting and just too busy to answer.
The phone will not say GOD CALLING and give you a choice to let it go right to voice mail! What if you really did look at your caller ID or know the familiar ring tone and it said “GOD calling”?
It is unlike any other voice within us because it will not automatically go over to voice mail and wait until later. It will not take no for an answer.
The voice will keep at us and when unanswered for long enough appears as illness, injury, sleepless nights, drinking too much, shopping too much or eating too much, too late, in front of the TV you are not even watching. We may be cavalier enough to continue trying to ignore or even be so bold to try abolition! Abolishing these calls to another corner of one’s psyche (or wherever they go when we try such stupid acts!) does no good.
Ignoring the voice is like putting off surgery that you really need. Excuses are easy to find. "It is the wrong season, I am too busy, I can’t afford it, my kids, family, co-workers, boss, and lovers can not be without me."
After the surgery people say “I don’t know why I waited so long. I can’t believe that I was in pain for so long and I feel great now.”
We are on the same road. Why do we let ourselves stay in pain or deep discomfort for so long? There are often good answers to that question. We just are not ready. We need some time to be in the moments of our discontent. By leaping to action we are not allowing the seeds to winter and gestate in a way that will become a full bloomed flower in spring or that ripe perfect fruit in summer.
Some times the tendency to leap to action, to get out of pain, is as dangerous as not answering the call. Only you will know and getting to know yourself well enough and honestly enough is a part of the journey.
Maybe it is time to surrender to that deeper voice, the one that is connected to God. Maybe you do not use the word “God.” What matters is not what I believe but what you believe. Creating this Road Map is about claiming your own words. It is claiming Faith and Love and throwing your head back and laughing at yourself out loud and with a great “gaffaw” at being a total “duffus” for not stopping and listening and making that change! Humor will always be a saving grace.
”Love everybody, all the time, in front of God.” To begin this process I add this to Big Kenny's song, "Love and honor yourself all of the time, in front of God. Let that love be your Road Map and lead you down the road."
If you do not love what you are doing and who you are doing it with, hold that as a sign post to your heart. Our hearts never steer us wrong.
Maya Balle, MCC, CPCC c)2008
Posted by Maya Balle at
3:45 PM
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