I am still in the process of re-entry to work life after spending 5 glorious days on the Oregon Coast last week. We were told that weather on the Oregon Coast, near Bandon, has about 20 perfect (70-75 degrees, sunny, very little wind) days per year. Sorry, Oregonians, but we used up 4 of them last week. The weather was picture perfect! The primary purpose for this trip was to provide a memorable 40th birthday experience for a friend, and since Bandon Dunes has 2 of the top 5 ranked golf courses in the country, there was a lot of golfing involved. I am not a golfer. CORRECTION! I am not a good enough or confident enough or addicted enough golfer to be on any of those courses. That left me with a good deal of alone time in a beautiful place. One of the mornings I walked on a trail that led to a labyrinth back in the woods.
Labyrinth
Isn't it just so cool? I walked the to the center of the labyrinth slowly and took an equally leisurely pace on my way back out. I was intentional about my time in the maze. I turned off the ipod, closed my eyes, tried to center myself and asked for some lessons as I walked. This is what I took away from my time in the labyrinth.
SOMETIMES IT'S OKAY TO NOT KNOW HOW I AM GOING TO GET SOMEWHERE AS LONG AS I AM CLEAR ON WHERE I AM GOING
SOMETIMES WE CAN GET SO DEEP INTO A MESS THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHICH WAY IS OUT
SOMETIMES ALL WE CAN DO IS PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER AND KEEP MOVING
THE DIRECT ROUTE IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST ROUTE TO WHERE YOU ARE GOING
SOME LINES SHOULD NOT BE CROSSED
SOMEONE HAS WALKED THIS PATH BEFORE AND IF I TRUST IN THAT (OR THEM) I WILL BE OKAY
LIFE HAS A LOT OF TWISTS AND TURNS THAT DON'T ALWAYS MAKE SENSE
NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE LOVE BEING WITH PEOPLE AND BEING BUSY, WE ALL NEED TIME AWAY WITH NO ONE AROUND
THE WORDS WE MAY NEED TO HEAR OR THE THOUGHTS WE MAY NEED TO HAVE MIGHT ONLY BE AVAILABLE TO US WHEN WE ARE ALONE
I AM SMALL BUT PART OF SOMETHING GRAND
I DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS RACING INSIDE UNTIL CALM TOOK ITS PLACE
THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY OUT OR IN - ALWAYS
I am not sure what your powerful question should be this week. I am quite sure that most of you don't have a labyrinth nearby where you can go and try a walk to see what lessons you learn. According to the research, you can get a similar sense of calm and peace by simply tracing your finger on a labyrinth pattern. Until I did some reading on labyrinths, I didn't know that they resemble some of the inner workings of our body (intestines, inner ear, etc.) and that there is a unconscious comfort and familiarity about moving through the pattern. If you have access to a labyrinth, try it out, okay? If not, why don't you see which of my labyrinth lessons resonate for you this week? Once you land on one, think about it daily and notice how that statement shows up in your life. As always, I'd be fascinated to hear what you take away from this one ... I know it's a bit bizarre, but then ... so am I!
