Trust in Beginnings

Today's thought:  I remember the warmth and comfort of my sleeping bag!  My family would go camping on weekends and vacations.  There was safety in being together, gathering in the tent after dark, and snuggling down into the sleeping bag.  Memories of warmth, safety, and comfort...  that is, until one morning when I was a Boy Scout!

I woke out of a sound sleep, my sleeping bag twisted from my tossing and turning.  I was bound, trapped within the tangled sleeping bag.  I couldn't get out by myself:  I needed to ask for help.  With my head peaking out of the bag and my arms pinned in various positions, I was embarrassed, especially when people wouldn't believe me that I couldn't unravel the mess I was in.

Where do you find safety and comfort?
(Photo credit:  source unknown)

To this day I find it uncomfortable to be in tight places.  The memories of being trapped, unable to escape, needing to ask for help.

Aren't there similarities as we practice our dialogue skills:

• Being tangled in our thoughts and actions;
• Feeling trapped by preconceived conclusions; and
• Needing help to see beyond the narrow perspectives we have safely placed ourselves?

I wonder if it's time to start something new:  to trust in beginnings -- asking for help to understand.

Is it time to start something new in your life?
(click on image to enlarge)
(Photo credit:  Mutts, Patrick McDonnell, January 1, 2022)

 

It seems that moments of safety and comfort can also cocoon us into a false sense of security.  We become isolated from the movements that encourage us to connect with life beyond our limited views.  Asking for help to unravel our tangled thoughts provides opportunities to trust one another.  Our renewal comes when we step out together, and when we realize that vulnerability becomes our strength.

What beauty do you see in your life?
(Photo: Sea of Cortez Sunset, Larry Gardepie)

Asking for help can be quite subtle, almost simple:  "What do you think about...?",  "I am not sure I understand...",  "This is what I know...  Do you see it any differently?"  These questions invite the other person into adding information or options we might not have considered.

 

There is humility in stepping back and letting go:  we can clear up any misunderstandings between us... or... at least, identify where we disagree.  Now, the magic of beginnings: allowing the Beauty Within each person to be released from the enclosures we have trapped or hidden them.

May your beauty shine!
 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

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