What Step Do You Wish to Take?

Today, I discovered Jamie Ridler’s Wishcasting blog. It’s a simple premise: a circle of people tend to each other’s wishes in response to a weekly prompt. This week, the prompt is, What Step Do You Wish to Take?

As soon as I chose the photograph for this post (which took about 5 seconds), I had my answer: I want to step into the unknown. This gorgeous piece of driftwood on a remote beach on the island of Vieques looks a bit like an old sea anchor. It’s lodged in the sand, which continuously changes around it. Sometimes the wood is buried up to its neck by the sand; on this day, most of it was revealed.

Gazing from the seemingly solid (but really shifting) beach out to the open ocean, I see an invitation to step from familiarity into possibility. From that old, safe anchor that no longer serves me to the life and work that are calling to me. Sometimes this feels like my Higher (big-S) Self egging me on to places I’ve never been and that my (small-s) self doesn’t want any part of. My Higher Self is a bit of a taskmaster! She knows I am not only capable of stepping up, I must to do so in order to fulfill my purpose and live a truly meaningful life.

The image of water and the question, “What step do you wish to take?” also remind me of the great surfing documentary, “Step Into Liquid,” which is at least partly about the thrill of stepping into the unknown. Surfers are some of the most spiritual people on the planet. They have an almost mystical way of relating to the awesome power of nature: humble, direct, receptive, highly intuitive, graceful, and incredibly courageous.

To my mind, these words also describe a life well-lived. As I step into the unknown, I know I will need plenty of support and encouragement!

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