take flight
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You might not know where you are going, but the only way to take flight is by boarding the plane. Standing with your two feet firmly planted on the ground will not get you anywhere. You need to move. You need to reach. You need to take a chance.
For the past ten years {probably even more} I have been living within the same two mile radius. Yes, I moved four times but I didn't go far. My home location shifted but everything else remained the same. I go to the same grocery store. Check out books from the same library. Travel down the same roads. I know this area like the back of my hand. There is a comfort here.
There is also this tiny little whisper that I am beginning to hear. It is seeking out a shift, wanting to explore new roads, and unearth different places. Experience what life is like beyond this two mile radius.
I have always dreamt of living in a sleepy little seaside town. Where I could get all of my errands done on my bicycle. Spend evenings on the porch with loved ones. Go for walks at night. Listen to the sound of the ocean daily. Enjoy the buzz of the summer visitors and savor the quiet when they scurried home. A little town that I could become deeply engrained in the small community.
I recently finished a book about Nantucket where the main character was a children's librarian. Even though I have never been there I found myself wishing I could click my heels and be transported. This book got me buzzing about a different place, a slower life, an opportunity to savor the outdoors more than I get to today.
What has held me to this tiny radius is my family and my love. It would be hard to be a plane ride away from family. We do so much together and it is such a joy to be an aunt my nieces and nephews. My love is part of a family business that is rooted here as well.
But this feeling inside of me has me wondering. With no job tying me down is it time to take a leap and seek what is beyond? Throughout this entire uncertain moment of my life I have been keeping one thing close; staying open. I am staying open to possibility. Staying open to unearthing what the next right step is. Staying open to embracing the moment in front of me. I am simply staying open.
In this state of openness flight is possible. I know I need to keep following my heart. Keep stepping forward. Keep moving. When I stop everything becomes stagnant and I lose my passion and fire. The idea of flight lights me up. It reminds me that I can do anything.
And so I do not extinguish the tiny voice. I acknowledge it even though I do not know what it means. I listen to it and continue to listen to all the whispers. I do what feels right. I keep stepping forward. I extend my arms and prepare to fly.
