If I Could Fly…The Greatness of that Call

If I Could Fly. . . .

As I pondered what success might look like if I could rise above the obstacles that threaten to capture me and hold me in place, I wondered what this might look like. What would I do, if I could fly? Then, on a conference call this week, the woman in charge challenged us to look at all the obstacles: all the people that are in our life or have been in our life, the jobs we have had, no matter how mundane they might seem, and even the creative endeavors and volunteer placements we have taken on, and look at all these as part of our training ground. Some will be fun, others challenging, and some might seem like they do not fit into our grand scheme of working towards that big, successful, creative possibility. She ended with a challenge, to dare to venture into the greatness of that call on our life, and what we still need to overcome – what fears or obstacles pull us back to the ground with a thud.
I believe that things work together to challenge me, to train and teach me, and this week exemplified it with the prompt and the conference call. It gave me pause to reflect on events, which I might consider unrelated, but are actually all part of learning the skills I need for the project yet to come; to dream of possibilities of success if I could but fly.

I look back at the many things I have already done from university classes to workshops, and yet I have learned more from life’s experiences than from most of the formal training. People have come into my life at just the right time, and spoken volumes through their stories and actions, whether to learn the hard way how to deal with the negative, or from their encouragement. I have been allowed a glimpse into cultures different than my own, circumstances I have not endured, and a look at their interests and passions.

The tough stuff of life has taught me lessons, allowed patience to begin to grow, and glimpses of hope to emerge so I can then walk with others on their tough journeys – not with all the answers, but simply as one who has walked it longer than they have. Life’s tough stuff has taught me to treasure the beauty in simple things, celebrate the small steps and know that the dark days will not last forever, even when they seem like they might. I will fly again.

As I reflect on these things, the ‘I wish I had done things differently’ threatens to escape and fill the page, but I must push it down and look at the positives to see where they might lead. I need to move past the excuses of not having the right initials after my name or not enough experience, and build on all the training I have received in my lifetime. Then I can soar above the regrets and see the possibilities.

When I allow my imagination to take wing, I see myself speaking more often and to larger groups about subjects like ‘Life’s Tough but There’s Hope’ or about ‘Communication and The Power of Story’ or about ‘The Courage to Include,’ for I know that I have something to offer to others which will encourage and challenge them to then share their stories of hope.

The storyteller in me escapes the confines of a lack of self-confidence, and the variety of stories grows, both in written and oral form. Success means I take on and complete the challenge my grandson threw my way, to go beyond writing non-fiction to a fiction book. I started the challenge, but doubts crept in and it lays incomplete, waiting for more revision. Flying would allow those revisions to be complete, edits done, and the book to become available to the public.

What grand venture waits for me as I fly above the obstacles, and incorporate the lifetime of training I have received? How will the puzzle pieces line up to for a beautiful picture?

I must grab hold of encouraging, affirming words and believe them to build the self-confidence. Then, I’ll soar into speaking to a variety of audiences and share stories to encourage, to teach, to mentor, and to entertain. I will publish articles, stories, and books rather than let them languish on my computer or as an idea flitting through my mind.

Written by: Carol Harrison; Carol’s Corner