pending twilight looking upriverspringhill road,
sat. evening walking the dog with Max
"Take time to accept responsibility. Your life is exactly that - It's your life. It is created by you. You are constantly making choices, constantly creating new experiences. And although we can be affected by circumstances which can seem to be completely out of our control, essentially, we decide the direction in which we walk."
Nicolas Watkins
Every morning, I arrive at my desk to an email entitled "Your Daily Insights." Today, this little gem arrived. Completely appropos to my career situation and my intent on taking the reins to move forward.....or more appropriately conducive to my own thinking, on grabbing that paddle to stern my own canoe.
I've been paddling on the same lake for a while and know the inlets well. There have been times when I've floated along the shores, through the lily pads and lake grass enjoying the water spiders and little fish quietly living their lives. I have found the strength to take deep plunges with my paddle, to fight off the north winds as I cascaded over white caps trying to make it across the lake to a calmer locale. I have laid back against the thwarts and looked up into the sky allowing the canoe to drift along as I enjoy the moment, as I make an attempt to steal deep breaths from the fresh breezes.
Others have joined me in the canoe, all of whom always bring something good to eat, to drink, to teach and to learn. All of the people in my life have shared the paddle, on good calm days, on storm pending days, and on those days when the winds change so abruptly that you need a person in the bow to pull the water in unison.
Amazing how fast you can propel yourselves in a canoe with two working together. And if you do it right, you can feel the strength coming from your whole body. Paddling is never just an arm movement thing. Oh no, paddling takes the muscles in your thighs, stomach, chest, back and arms to make the canoe propel. Your knees, spread about 6 inches as you kneel, support your weight. Your feet, tucked under the seat help you feel connected to the canoe. It takes your eyes to see where you're headed, your brain to register the changes and nuances of your journey. It takes your sense of balance to find the touchpoint of your hip and tush to the side gunnels and the just the right lean. It takes a firm grip of one hand on the butt of the paddle, and the everchanging positioning of your other hand on the neck as you allow the paddle to slide into position through your guiding hand. And if you're doing it right.......if you're allowing all the parts of your body to work the canoe and it's paddle, you become an extension of the journey.
Across the water......... dip, dip and swing.
Most days my paddling has a sense of familiar purpose. I know which inlet I'm visiting. I am aware of the weather up ahead. I can find the right harbour, the best shore, the sturdy dock. Familiarity allows for this. Familiarity allows for us to have the feeling that we can paddle solo......that we can do it alone. But, I'm wondering if familiarity also generates doubt which perpetuates desire to tackle something new? We get settled in the same canoe, on the same lake, looking at the same inlets. The seasons come and go, the winds come and go........ all predictably familiar. Which is nice, if you're completely and utterly content.
And if you are.........completely and utterly content...............go with it........more power to you.....rock on.......... just watch out for those nasty snapping turtles, oh and the driftwood.....oh, and watch out for the changing water levels, where all of a sudden, the familiar lake alters it's vista and you're left grounded on a new sandbar with a stick puncturing your beloved canoe.
Yeah, familiarity...............a facade, isn't it, with contentment as a trap?
Today, I headed over to what looks like an inlet from afar, but as you get closer, you can see it's really the beginning of a tributary feeding into another lake. It's the other lake where I have heard has a couple of beautiful campgrounds to check out. It is where my next destination lies. I know this lake, but not as well, so have decided to ask for directions, to ask for help with the navigating.
Help.......will you please help me? I asked.......... these are not words I often spout because I'm normally comfortable soloing. I'm normally the navigator for others. But, today I asked someone whom I know clearly has a big picture of the lay of the land and lake..........
His answer?
"Yes, I would love to help you. But, I don't want you to settle for something you're not completely excited about. I want you to be picky about your destination. And while I'm helping you, I want you to plant as many seeds as you can along the way........."
Our lives are created by us, as noted in the quote........but we should never be afraid to check out new vistas, to pass up familiarity and more importantly to ask for help in the paddling to a new destination.
Think I've just pushed off from the shore.....it may be a longer paddle than I anticipate because, well I'm not going to settle for the first campground I check out.....it takes time.......but I have help. I don't have to navigate alone.
Nicolas Watkins
Every morning, I arrive at my desk to an email entitled "Your Daily Insights." Today, this little gem arrived. Completely appropos to my career situation and my intent on taking the reins to move forward.....or more appropriately conducive to my own thinking, on grabbing that paddle to stern my own canoe.
I've been paddling on the same lake for a while and know the inlets well. There have been times when I've floated along the shores, through the lily pads and lake grass enjoying the water spiders and little fish quietly living their lives. I have found the strength to take deep plunges with my paddle, to fight off the north winds as I cascaded over white caps trying to make it across the lake to a calmer locale. I have laid back against the thwarts and looked up into the sky allowing the canoe to drift along as I enjoy the moment, as I make an attempt to steal deep breaths from the fresh breezes.
Others have joined me in the canoe, all of whom always bring something good to eat, to drink, to teach and to learn. All of the people in my life have shared the paddle, on good calm days, on storm pending days, and on those days when the winds change so abruptly that you need a person in the bow to pull the water in unison.
Amazing how fast you can propel yourselves in a canoe with two working together. And if you do it right, you can feel the strength coming from your whole body. Paddling is never just an arm movement thing. Oh no, paddling takes the muscles in your thighs, stomach, chest, back and arms to make the canoe propel. Your knees, spread about 6 inches as you kneel, support your weight. Your feet, tucked under the seat help you feel connected to the canoe. It takes your eyes to see where you're headed, your brain to register the changes and nuances of your journey. It takes your sense of balance to find the touchpoint of your hip and tush to the side gunnels and the just the right lean. It takes a firm grip of one hand on the butt of the paddle, and the everchanging positioning of your other hand on the neck as you allow the paddle to slide into position through your guiding hand. And if you're doing it right.......if you're allowing all the parts of your body to work the canoe and it's paddle, you become an extension of the journey.
Across the water......... dip, dip and swing.
Most days my paddling has a sense of familiar purpose. I know which inlet I'm visiting. I am aware of the weather up ahead. I can find the right harbour, the best shore, the sturdy dock. Familiarity allows for this. Familiarity allows for us to have the feeling that we can paddle solo......that we can do it alone. But, I'm wondering if familiarity also generates doubt which perpetuates desire to tackle something new? We get settled in the same canoe, on the same lake, looking at the same inlets. The seasons come and go, the winds come and go........ all predictably familiar. Which is nice, if you're completely and utterly content.
And if you are.........completely and utterly content...............go with it........more power to you.....rock on.......... just watch out for those nasty snapping turtles, oh and the driftwood.....oh, and watch out for the changing water levels, where all of a sudden, the familiar lake alters it's vista and you're left grounded on a new sandbar with a stick puncturing your beloved canoe.
Yeah, familiarity...............a facade, isn't it, with contentment as a trap?
Today, I headed over to what looks like an inlet from afar, but as you get closer, you can see it's really the beginning of a tributary feeding into another lake. It's the other lake where I have heard has a couple of beautiful campgrounds to check out. It is where my next destination lies. I know this lake, but not as well, so have decided to ask for directions, to ask for help with the navigating.
Help.......will you please help me? I asked.......... these are not words I often spout because I'm normally comfortable soloing. I'm normally the navigator for others. But, today I asked someone whom I know clearly has a big picture of the lay of the land and lake..........
His answer?
"Yes, I would love to help you. But, I don't want you to settle for something you're not completely excited about. I want you to be picky about your destination. And while I'm helping you, I want you to plant as many seeds as you can along the way........."
Our lives are created by us, as noted in the quote........but we should never be afraid to check out new vistas, to pass up familiarity and more importantly to ask for help in the paddling to a new destination.
Think I've just pushed off from the shore.....it may be a longer paddle than I anticipate because, well I'm not going to settle for the first campground I check out.....it takes time.......but I have help. I don't have to navigate alone.
My paddle's keen and bright, flashing with silver.......
Follow the wild goose flight
dip, dip and swing........
Follow the wild goose flight
dip, dip and swing........
5 comments:
Be strong, O paddle! be brave, canoe!
The reckless waves you must plunge into.
Reel, reel.
On your trembling keel,
But never a fear my craft will feel.
We've raced the rapid, we're far ahead!
The river slips through its silent bed.
Sway, sway,
As the bubbles spray
And fall in tinkling tunes away.
And up on the hills against the sky,
A fir tree rocking its lullaby,
Swings, swings,
Its emerald wings,
Swelling the song that my paddle sings.
...The wonderful Pauline Johnson
Beautiful! I have never read this before.......it's so evocative. It should be read aloud.....
It takes me right to a place in the Canadian Shield. I can picture the lake nestled into a predominant rock face.......and up ahead a giant fir tree somehow growing up through the rock.....majestically standing her ground..
Yes, I think Pauline Johnson must've been paddling from Big Hawk over to Crabbe Lake past diving rock.......you think?
Thank you Daisy for sharing....
And you my friend, by sharing this quote, gave me a gem. This is exactly what I needed to read at this point in my journey. In all the thinking that I have done about finding my right path, I have spent little time thinking about working with someone else, allowing and welcoming help. I need to open up and let this in. Your blog is giving me so much.
p.s. I found daily insights and signed up!
Some excellent points here Dana. I've always believed we're creating our own lives, even the drama - something we need to learn from that. It's not easy to ask for help. But taking action by planting seeds along the way is always positive. xo
Hi Tori.....I think sometimes we feel that asking for help is a sign of weakness.......especially for us "independent broads" who are forging our own way. Perhaps we need to look at it as a sign of awareness? I'm glad you gleaned something out of my post.....I did too!! It's funny, I sometimes go with just one thought and let it lead the way....I did that with this one. Had no idea I would write about paddling or searching....was thinking about all the different cries for help...many tones of help....I may pursue it further in another post.
Tara....oh yes, the drama......great learning from that venue. thanks.
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