This year our balcony has become a bird sanctuary for
finches and other smaller birds. Last week the sanctuary was invaded not by a
larger bird but by a furry friend.
I heard the clanging of the wind chimes and out of the
corner of my eye saw something furry clinging to them. By the time Sagwa, my
cat, and I got to the balcony door, nothing seemed amiss. Then I saw these
little hands clinging to the concrete balcony floor. In a flash, the intruder
squirrel flipped itself onto the balcony. She scurry over to the fallen
birdseed and began to munch. Her nimble hands plucked the vial from the rain
gauge. She chewed a bit on the rim, tilted it, and attempted to drink the
non-existent water.
That silly squirrel had catapulted off the room and grabbed
on to the wind chime in an attempt to swing onto the balcony. She was living
with curious daring and courage in her quest for food. In my soon to be
published book, Engaging Compassion Through Intent And Action, I write about living
with curious daring and courage.
Falling two stories probably wouldn’t have killed the
squirrel, but she might have been beat up. Even with the odds, she took the
chance to gain the prize…easy food. I reflect on the squirrel’s behavior and
think about my own. I weigh my fear against the opportunity when I decide about
taking a chance. Often I choose to allow fear to overwhelm me. In those moments,
I stay stuck in an endless loop of sameness. I live the definition of insanity:
doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different outcome.
When I move through my fear with a willingness to leap
across the unknown, I enter the realm of joy-filled expansive living. Maybe I
don’t get the hoped for result, but I have left the fear based loop of
comfortable, insanity-producing sameness. I venture outside this space into the
realm of possibility. Who knows what waits for me through engaged curiosity,
courage, and daring.
I remember the squirrel’s actions, and I wonder how much of
our life we spend clinging to the old and the broken. Our grip is frozen as we
cling to what brings despair but is comfortable. If only we could thaw our
grip, we would find the courage to live with daring. As we shift into this
place of courageous daring, our curiosity blows away the fear-filled cobwebs of
our paralysis. We are free to try different ways until we discover our new way
on the path in the moment.
That squirrel reminds me of how I want to be. Taking a
chance in the moment because of the possibility of what if. Grasping an
opportunity that may transform my life in radical ways. In those moments that I am like the squirrel I
receive nourishment of my body, mind, spirit, and heart. I am whole and open to
what life offers.
Embrace your inner squirrel and let me know what your
curious daring discover!
Curiously daring, Vanessa
No comments:
Post a Comment