You want to take a journey but have no idea where to go. Open fields and forests are waiting for you to discover them. Yet, you hesitate, stuck looking back. You do not need permission to decide. What makes you curious? I see you have anticipated your journey and are carrying some tools; perhaps they offer clues. What are your strengths? What skills have you learned up to this point? You want to take flight but need a flight plan. It is crucial to face your past but not stay there too long. Come on; we need to get moving.
You know you need to get moving, but you are still trying to figure things out. Your head is in the clouds, and you have a flock of unruly thoughts. Since you have not started or figured out your plan, consider making friends with your ideas. Think of each one of your doubts and fears as if they were a pigeon in a park. Coax them with some breadcrumbs and study them while they eat. You may notice their unique features. For example, this pigeon has a band around its neck while another has a clipped wing. Listen to what they have to say. They call you to fly, but you are too afraid and want to stay on the safe path.
Visualization is a powerful tool. As you try to figure out what you want to be clear about, why not consider brainstorming? Play is a powerful brainstorming tool. You have all this potential energy building up. You know you need to change, but you do not know how or where to transform? Use creative tools: draw pictures of potential futures, use a whiteboard and brainstorm ideas, get some sticky notes and put each statement on a square, then you can group them quickly and find themes. Now that you have some destination ideas, you can take the next step and clarify.
Be warned! Do not jump on the first idea and hit the ground running. A vision without a plan is a dream. Review your statements and think about which one resonates the most? Yes, you can take the easy road and have marginal growth, or you may have discovered a future that excites you but terrifies you because you do not know how to get to your destination. Like I always say, “A comfort zone is a desert; very little grows there.” Do you want to grow? Once I went to California, and we were in the suburbs. I could not tell you if I was in California or Florida. They looked identical. What is the point of a journey to find the same thing you left back at home? You can also decide to stick your head in the sand and stay where it is safe. Is it safety or stagnation? The choice is yours. Will you take that first step?
If you are enjoying this blog, please subscribe. Also take a listen to an expanded version of today's post as a story on my new podcast.
https://anchor.fm/stacy-casson/episodes/What-Dreams-May-Come-e1c66cl
Show Transcript:
Intro: Uplifting horns, Welcome to another edition of Things to Think About. Here's Stacy!
Podcast: Welcome to the Things To Think About Podcast where we use fables and fairy tales to come to deeper truths about our subconscious world. I’m Stacy Casson and today’s tale came from a question where someone asked how do I know what I need to get clear about? We will explore this topic in a tale I call, What Dreams May Come. And now, get comfortable and relax. Gong. Take a Deep Breathe in and exhale. Deep breath in and exhale. Deep breath in, exhale, and if you wish, slowly close your eyes.
Once upon a time, there was a Seeker who wanted a change but did not know what they wanted to change.
“There has to be more to life than this,” they thought as they prepared for bed. “What do I need to know?” was their last thought as they settled in to sleep.
Stag horns, no, a crown of branches shaped like antlers rested upon large pointed ears. The figure was silhouetted against the soft sunlight of the dawn.
It appeared to be a young boy, and the veins in its gossamer wings were illuminated. He stood on a gentle slope of moss-covered rocks. The Seeker noticed that it held a long golden staff with a crescent moon holding a Celtic knot and a ruby at its base. It also had a shorter silver staff with a circular head favoring a snake or a dragon. The fey child wore a leather pouch at its waist and had a beautiful golden fishbone-shaped arrow tattooed on its leg pointing to the ground. There was a whispering sound directly in the Seeker’s ear, “Today you lead the Misrule,” it said, “and in two fortnights, you must die.” It raised a hand in greeting and beckoned the Seeker to follow it. “What do you mean I must die?” the Seeker questioned. There was no response, so they followed since they were unfamiliar with this place. “You have to look to see truly,” came another direct whisper.
The sound was dampened as they walked through the trees. The Seeker admired the dappled lighting playing across the branches. In the distance, they heard squawks, quacks, and cooing. A veiled figure sat surrounded by birds. A mysterious mist obscured them from view, but it appeared to be a lady in loose flowing materials. Her wings were made of feathers, and she was very still amidst the cacophony of bird calls.
Doves circled her head, and a tiny bluebird perched upon her knee, its head lifted in adoration. The ducks and geese all faced her and had an air of protection. A new voice whispered directly in the mind of the Seeker. “You want to fly, but your wings are clipped. You must molt your feathers. This mottled plumage does not suit you. You long for fine feathers but stay drab.” The Seeker shivered at the thought of being naked; they also felt as if they wanted to jump out of their skin. They also noticed that many of her birds were content walking around or roosting. The two flying around her were getting ready to land. One lighted on her shoulder. She did not flinch or move but remained utterly still. The Seeker reflected on the lack of motion. They vaguely remembered another place where they were always hurrying.
It was as if they were being hunted.
“What a horrible place,” they thought to themselves, hoping it was a dream and not a memory.
The antlered child continued walking towards the light beyond the mist. There was a crackling sound ahead of them. They came upon another creature seated under a branch covered in ferns.
Fiery-colored flowers decorated the arch. The Seeker noted it was actual fireflies, but they glowed brighter than any others. The woman’s flame-colored hair moved around as if blowing in the wind, yet the air was still. The crackling sound was coming from the fireflies. They were literal fire insects, yet their heat did not burn the flowers they called home. Like the other denizens of this world, she too had wings, except hers were shaped like a butterfly. The Seeker’s own wings itched where they grew out of their shoulders. The whispery sound came again, this time like tinkling bells upon the wind, “Why are you so dour? Come and play, come and play. How many of my fire friends can you catch?” The Seeker felt curiously empty. They did not know how to play and wept. “Why do you cry, child?” the flame-haired lady enquired. “I, I don’t know what to do! I don’t know how to play. I am afraid of the fire, and the stag boy told me I am going to die!” the Seeker sobbed. The fireflies circled around curiously cool despite the crackling sound of their fire. “Your light is dimming, child; fire burns away the dross.
You lead the Misrule, so lead,” came the tinkling whisper.
The Seeker remembered their other life, the one with the drab grey boxes, and awoke with a start.
“What a strange dream they thought.”
Something pricked their hand, and when they opened it, they found a small twig, a feather, and a dead golden fly. The Seeker reflected on what they saw in the dream and knew they had to make a change. They longed for boldness and the freedom to spread their wings. “You will lead the Misrule,” they remembered the fey boy saying.
I have been misruling my life. I have let fear direct me instead of my inner vision and goals. I will fly, and I have to die to my old life. At least I have an idea about what to change. What will I do next? [Sound of a gong]
That ends our story for today. You can take a deep breath in and exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. And when you're ready, wiggle your toes, wiggle your fingers and slowly open your eyes.
Closing: Jazzy synth keyboards. Hope you enjoyed today's segment. Tell a friend. See you next time.
