Out an' About

My sunglasses dropped down the cliff. I was mortified.

Looking down at the ocean from high above I felt an overwhelming urge to get them back.

Ordinarily I would have cut my losses and left them. The jagged cliff hung high over the ocean and the sea below was rough and choppy, but I could see my sunglasses on the rocks below and I believed there was a way down. I was determined to get them back.

So slowly, ever so slowly, I took the first step. I could see what resembled a narrow goat track and felt a sense of determination.  As I set off, each step taken with blind faith, footings appeared in the rocks.

Another step, then a third, and each time I could see a little bit in front of me, not much but enough to convince me I could make it. Half way down and the footing kept revealing itself to me in the rocks. At this point I wasn’t looking at the bottom anymore, not the surf, the rocks nor my fallen sunglasses. I just knew I had to stay focused, keep steady and eventually I’d get down.

By the time I reached terra firma the waves had eased and the ocean was calm. There was a person standing there, I don’t know who she was. She was holding my glasses and told me (not surprisingly) they were scratched beyond repair. It didn’t matter. I’d reached the bottom.

Then I woke up.

Dreams don’t usually stay with me, but this one has stuck, vivid in my mind, possibly because I recounted it to my son. It feels particularly symbolic.

Of course there could be many interpretations. It could mean I’m simply feeling on edge (after all, I am an overthinker) or that I’ve been taking risks (which I have) or confronting fears (which I also have).

In my dream the cliff face was the challenge and reaching my sunglasses at the bottom my goal. I was determined to get there, even though I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it. There was no real path, but each step appeared in the rocks as I needed it and as I put my feet forward.

I’m no dream expert but perhaps the cliff was a representation of the unknown and I’m standing on the cusp of something new.

Right now there’s a lot of uncertainty around me. Some things are working out, some aren’t. However, I honestly believe if I keep taking steps, no matter how slow or small and no matter that I can’t see far in front of me, it will lead me forward.

Notice I didn’t say “to my destination” because ultimately our destination constantly shifts. When we reach it, the goal posts change and there’s something new to strive for.  That’s what life is all about, experiencing the journey, with all of its joys, its ups, downs and humbling experiences along the way. 

“If it’s both terrifying and amazing then you should definitely pursue it. “Erada

When we reach wherever it is we’re going, just as I reached my sun glasses, we may realise that our goals have changed. That what we were striving for somehow shifted along the way.

Maybe standing on the edge gave me a sense of understanding and awareness, seeing my life in a different way.  Sometimes we all find ourselves on that “cliff edge” where we need a new perspective and resolve. That’s what I felt in my dream, slowly walking down it. I was mindful and aware but I also felt a strong resolve and sense of calm.

It was an unusual dream, potentially full of hidden dangers and yet infinite possibilities.  Life’s like that. With every step we take out of our comfort zone a rebirth happens. An awakened feeling that somehow things always work out. 

Trust yourself, face your fears, whatever they are, and don’t be afraid to step into the unknown.

Have a great week ahead.

In light and love.

“Sometimes the best thing you can do is not think, not wonder, not imagine, not obsess. Just breath and have faith that everything will work out for the best.”

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Outanabout YOLO “You only live once”