An inspirational story written with great care, just for you, from yours truly!
Imagine a beautiful beach in the distance. You decide to head that way. As you get closer, you see an even more magical place, a breathtaking island a half-mile off the its shore. Now you’re super happy you noticed and decided to journey towards it.
However, once you arrive at the beach, you run into a problem. You couldn’t see it from the road, but a massive jetty of boulders impedes all forward progress towards the water, blocking your way to the magical island you desire. What now?
Evaluating various strategies and the risks, you rule out attempts to go over or under the jetty. You see them as too risky. You notice that some boulders are larger while others are small. You decide that it’s easier to remove small rocks to clear a path, so you choose that strategy.
After a few hours of removing the small rocks, you realize that your strategy is flawed. No matter how many small rocks you remove, you keep running into large boulders that block your way that keep you stuck. The idea of attempting to move any of the really large boulders seems really daunting and scary.
You realize that the only way you’re going to succeed at clearing a path is to attempt to move one of the really big boulders. This is what is truly causes you to be stuck.
In order to do this, you realize that without any experience moving big boulders and zero belief that you can, is potentially a losing strategy. So, you turn to the only thing you can turn to…..courage. All you can do is brave it and give it a try.
You summon enough courage to start pushing and to your astonishment, you feel movement. You can’t explain why, but the large boulder is actually moving. Gaining confidence, you summon even more courage, that you didn’t know you had, to keep trying. After just a few more moments of maximum effort, you succeed at your goal. The boulder was so large that moving it actually cleared a path to the water. You immediately wish you could have all those wasted hours removing small rocks back.
As you joyfully step forward, you realize that little rocks start to fall down from each side of the path you just cleared. You notice that this must be how the jetty barricade forms. A whole lot of small rocks start to impede your progress, until much larger boulders start to shift, closing any gaps.
Now you have a dilemma. It’s not too late to turn babk. But if you leap through the cleared path, it might become blocked again after you visit the island. You think, what if I get stuck?
Despite evidence that you can magically move large boulders with courage, you become scared and start to feel anxious. You think, what if that was a one time thing and I can’t do it again!
Gripped with fear and doubt, you realize that in these types of situations, courage is actually a winning strategy. In fact, it very well could be the ONLY reliable strategy when you lack belief.
So, for the second time today, you summon up enough courage. You begin to walk through the gap. As you do, small boulders hit you from all sides so you speed things up by taking a huge leap. Phew! You just make it through before the entire gap collapses behind you and removes the path you just cleared. Holy crap that was close!
Instead of becoming anxious from your fear about how you’re gonna get back, you turn your focus on how your going to make it to the island. That is your desire after all.
The first option is to swim, but the waves seem rather daunting as they are quite large and you have very little experience with open water swimming. Option two is that there is a small wooden boat washed ashore. It even has two paddles for rowing. You like this option, but rule it out cause you realize that you have even less experience rowing a boat over large waves than you do swimming through them. You decide to sit down and think of more options.
Then, you remember what summoning courage did for you. You begin to think outside the box and ponder what else can help you in this situation. You deduce that courage alone in this situation seems too risky. You realize something about yourself. You are ok with risk but you don’t do risky. There is an important distinction. You realize that you are not a strong swimmer. You have never attempted to row a boat in your life. The likeliness of drowning from either strategy is actually, well, likely! Too risky!
You quickly realize that courage got you here, not a bulldozer. You now have evidence that you may possess another attribute that can literally move boulders when summoned! What other attributes could do the same?
You get a bold idea! You stand up and declare out loud, with conviction, “making it to this island is my destiny, therefor, there must be a way!” Belief!
Moments later, magic strikes again. All the sudden the ocean shoreline starts to recede. It keeps receding all the way to the island. This creates a walkable path over sand. Holy cow!
You assume that there is a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why this is happening for you at this particular moment right when you need it most. You begin to wonder about the timing given you just declared your belief that a way forward besides swimming or rowing would materialize. You can’t help but think of the story in the Bible about the parting of the Red Sea. You chuckle at your own hubris in comparing yourself to Moses! But, you do make a mental note on the power of belief.
You begin to walk out to the gorgeous island. Wow, this is so easy you think! Then danger strikes! About half way to the island, the tide changes snd massive waves start rolling towards you.
You start to run but realize that you’re going to come up short. Realizing that you only have two options - let fear win and drown, or, summon up enough courage to try your best to swim to the island! You decide to throw in a sprinkle of belief for good measure!
The swim is brutal, but you manage to make it to the island. Once again, you astound yourself! You notice that you feel different from before you started this journey. The only way you can explain it to yourself is that you feel more ……ALIVE! Liking how you feel, you decide to explore the island.
Turns out the island is even more magical than you thought. It has an abundance of fresh fruit, drinkable water, fishing equipment and even a well constructed fire pit with tons of already chopped wood. Someone even left behind a lighter. You see a bunch of beach chairs, towels, and no way, is that sunblock?
Exploring further, you find a library of your favorite genre of books - spy novels. Walking towards it, you trip over a bucket. Getting up you realize it has a dozen of your favorite beers in it, and WTF - they are all ice cold. How is that even possible?
Just when you think it can’t get any better, you see a powerful jet ski with a unique steel pole on the back with a cable attached. No way! Is that what you think it is? A contraption for easily towing away large boulders? You are astounded!
You decide to stay the day enjoying the benefits of your courageous journey.
The End (or perhaps, just a Beautiful Beginning!)
P.S. - The boulders are your limiting beliefs. The small rocks are your chosen distractions. The Universe grants wishes but only if you believe. Courage is the way forward when you lack belief. I hope you enjoyed this story and it inspires you to try.
Your friend,
Eric Lochtefeld
