Remember when you were a little kid and you weren’t allowed to cross the street by yourself? Yeah, me neither. But I can imagine sitting on the curb dreaming of what it would be like if I could only get to the other side. If only I could reach all of the wonderful things that must be over there.
What I do remember is settling. Settling for all of the things I could reach without leaving my block. I would ride my tricycle round and round, looking for something interesting. And I remember repeatedly getting myself in to dangerous situations – without crossing the street. I was looking for something. So I would go home with people who seemed friendly or offered me something that seemed enticing. And I did it again. and again. and again. My parents would end up going door to door looking for me; I had forgotten their warnings. Fortunately for me, I did not get in to a bad situation while I was 3 and frequently followed grandmotherly types offering cookies.
I was thinking that perhaps I was still doing that when I was in my teens, twenties, and maybe even until recently. Not believing that I could cross over to the life that I wanted, I just circled and circled till I found myself in bad or unfulfilling situations on “my side of the street.”
Have you ever found yourself settling for a life you never wanted. Or even continuing to stay in a bad situation, because you believed that either you or both you and a significant other, could not “make it to the other side” to live a better life? Have you given up?
What if you went to the edge of the curb, pulled yourself up to your full height today, and clearly looked at the other side of the street? What if you identified what it was you wanted on the other side? What if you left behind the disappointing and not fulfilling, but easy to reach goals on this side?
What if today, you decided you had enough knowledge, strength, courage, chutzpah or whatever it takes, to look both ways and start walking toward that desired goal on the other side? What if you decided today was the day that you are old enough to cross the street. Without someone else’s permission.
Are you ready? Come on, I’ll go with you.