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Risking the unfamiliar
At certain times in our life we may
experience an urge to do something we have
never tried before, perhaps never even
contemplated. But, for one reason or
another, it appeals to us. Our interest may
be triggered by something we have read or
heard about. We may simply be curious or we
may have been mulling it over in our mind
for some time. It can also be the case that
it strikes us in a flash that maybe, just
maybe it could be relevant to us in a way we
had never previously considered,
Entering unfamiliar territory is not easy at
the best of times, but it also has the
potential to be exciting and enlightening,
as there are so many new discoveries to be
made. It is usually this element that
creates the initial spark, that attracts us
in the first place; either the desire or,
maybe unconsciously, the need, to satisfy
our curiosity, to answer the question,
“What if …?” This is the voice of our
intuition telling us that maybe, for us, the
time is right.
How can that be? Why do we ‘hear’ at this
moment? The simple answer is that we hear
the voice of our intuition when we are open
to it. We may have heard a faint whispering
in the past but perhaps we turned a deaf ear
because at that point in time we were just
not ready. We are not the same person as we
were five years ago or even last year come
to that. On a practical, physical level our
circumstances may have changed; often small
changes but enough to have an effect. More
significant are our relationships and their
affect on us, both psychologically and
emotionally. Most significant of all is our
relationship with our Self. What thoughts
and feelings do we have about our Self? How
do we value our Self? The more open we are
to our intuition the more chance we have of
re-connecting with our authentic Self.
All things unfamiliar carry a risk. Or do
they? True, we may be stepping way out of
our comfort zones, moving away from all that
is known, safe and familiar. Strange how we
tend to use the words ‘safe’ and ‘familiar’
almost in the same breath, because, on
occasion, what is familiar can be very
unsafe. As when we are familiar with high
levels of stress in our lives or when we
remain in an unhealthy, sometimes abusive
relationship. Negative patterns in our lives
can repeat so often we see them as our
complete existence. We fail to see an
alternative often because we perceive any
change to be beyond our reach. We cannot
conceive of living a different kind of life
to the one we have become used to. We may be
miserable even fearful, but at least we are
familiar with our particular brand of misery
and fear. We know what to expect. Then one
day we hear the question, “What if … ?” and
we begin to wonder, “Could I …?”
I remember clearly a telephone conversation
with my daughter in September 1995. At that
time I was working full time as a counsellor
as well as teaching part-time. I enjoyed the
work but it was very intense and demanding.
She rang from Egypt where she was travelling
with a friend. I had never travelled before,
not even holidayed abroad much. She told me
about seeing the Pyramids and sailing down
the Nile on a felucca. I told her how it
sounded so wonderful and how I would love to
do something like that. Her immediate
response to me was, “Well, just do it then!”
We happen to have a very close relationship
and, even though I laughed at the thought of
it, I trusted her and she had planted a
seed. Knowing my capacity to be a little
impulsive in my younger years I waited a few
months then, on New Year’s Day 1996 I made
the decision to go ahead. I was to travel
through south east Asia to Australia and New
Zealand.
Sometimes, all it takes is someone who
genuinely believes in us, perhaps a teacher,
counsellor or a good friend. This acceptance
of us as a person who is capable of taking
the first step is often enough to spur us
on. But to minimize any risk it falls to us
to do our own research, to find out as much
as possible beforehand, to explore every
available avenue so that we will be in a
much stronger position from which to take
that first step.
Was I excited? Yes. Was I just a little
anxious? Definitely. But I did my research
well. I had more than a few moments of
doubt, especially after deciding to travel
alone, wondering how I would cope. My
daughter returned in time to show me how to
pack a back-pack, an amazing feat of
organisation and skill. She came to wave me
off at the airport in April and, at the same
airport exactly twelve months later, my son
met me on my return. It was an amazing
experience; one that I never dreamt was
possible for me. Throughout the difficult
moments, because there were some, I kept
faith that all was happening as it was meant
to be. I wrote in my journal every day, saw
the most fantastic sights and met so many
people from all over the world.
If you find yourself contemplating something
you have never done before, WHATEVER IT MAY
BE, and you have reached the point of “What
if … ? remember that:
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New and unfamiliar doesn’t necessarily
mean unsafe
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People you trust can offer support
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Waiting a little while tests out your
commitment
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The more research carried out beforehand
the less ‘unknown’ your undertaking will
be
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It
won’t all be easy but have faith that
you will handle it all
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Most of it will be enjoyable and
enlightening
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You will learn a lot, mostly about
yourself
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Maybe for you the time is right
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