It is the season for high school and college graduations. These occasions can be bittersweet – often filled with relief, excitement, fear and uncertainty. Facing the next step in life, especially in an uncertain economy can be intimidating.
How do we begin a great new adventure – at graduation and at other times in our lives? Overcoming the fear and uncertainty through thoughtful action is one way. I believe in planning – not in impetuous change. All of us must find the right balance between thought and action, between planning and implementing. You may find yourself too much on one side of the balance – either too much thought or too much action.
Cultivating self-awareness and honesty about who we are and where we are is an on-going life challenge. A wise friend told me that it was time for me to accept and embrace the things in my life that feel like constraints and use them as structure for growth and success. Much like certain poetry takes a particular form of rhyme and syllable in order to provide a framework that can free the poet.
As you think about graduation or other change in your life – can you see the constraints as helpful framework? Can you make a plan that allows you to move to wise action? Can you begin?
Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
Goethe
Painting by Grey Grimm; graphics by Liz Wolfert
May 31st, 2012
