“You don’t need to have all the answers, you only need enough questions to get you started on your search for peace.”
Sometimes we find ourselves standing at the starting line, not able to move because we are not sure this is the right thing to do. What inspired us to step up to the starting line in the first place – a desire for change, our displeasure with where we are, the need for a new direction – may not be enough to push us forward. For many of us there is that lingering doubt — is this a good idea, is this the answer, will this be the answer – that keeps us frozen in place in the hopes of a clear cut answer before we move forward. When it comes to life and change, there are no clear cut answers, no guarantees, and no easy actions.
Everything we do to transition from the life we know to the life we desire involves risk. The key to embracing that risk is to recognize that we have more questions than answers and the journey we are embarking on will help us discover those answers. It is the quest for knowledge, awareness, affirmation, and peace that will move you from where you are, to where you desire to be. You cannot get there without moving forward with an open mind, receptive heart, and trusting spirit.
Recently I heard a talk about rebooting our lives. The speaker talked about the “three finger salute”, known to pc users as the ultimate reboot – Control/Alt/Delete. This talk resonated with me in so many ways. When dealing with a frozen pc, nothing generates a faster, more decisive response than control/alt/delete. Now it would be great if we could simply reboot our lives like this. We have already discovered the harsh reality that, when it comes to our lives, time, lessons, experiences, and frustration are all part of our journey. Though we cannot simply reboot and start with a fresh screen, we can reboot and move from our frozen spot.
Briefly take a look at the three components of a reboot in our lives:
- Control: Though we really only control two things in our lives – our attitude and our effort – these two pieces are critically important for starting out on any journey. Standing at the start line of the race, looking forward to the next chapter of our life, our attitude and our effort are going to be essential in defining the outcome. When you begin to move forward, embrace your race with passion, energy and optimism. This is your opportunity to truly transform your life — be excited, confident, and inspired about it. This will define the outcome.
- Alternatives: You are standing at the starting line because you have looked at the alternatives you had to this point and you made a decision to start here. I encourage you to be open, receptive to alternative thoughts, ideas, and paths; however, you also need to maintain enough focus to get moving, now. You are running a course that is not familiar to you. You cannot have all the answers about it yet. You began this journey in a quest for those answers; trust that this is the best course of action for you. What you don’t know will be revealed to you as you run the course. Be receptive to alternatives, but do not be unnecessarily distracted from moving toward your vision and dream.
- Delete: Eliminate those things in your life that are not necessary or helpful for your journey. You are standing at the starting line of a new beginning – make sure you bring with you only those things that will enable you to make this journey exciting and empowering and successful. Delete anything that holds you back, slows you down or, causes you pain.
Your journey to change – the transformation of your life – involves a pursuit of the unknown. You started this pursuit when you discovered that what you know is unacceptable. The next step in the process is to begin a quest to find what you are looking for, including things you don’t yet know. It begins as a simple step – a reboot – and then it continues with you moving forward from there. Enjoy!
