“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.”
– T. E. Lawrence
This past summer, I often parked by a arts school near the river when I went for my Saturday morning jog. One day, I noticed papers tied to a tree in front of the school. They were twisting and blowing in the breeze. I went to investigate and found many inspirational wishes that had been made by teachers and students. It was a Wishing Tree, and they had been encouraged to wish for whatever their hearts desired.
Some of the wishes were fanciful, and some made me smile. Others struck a chord with me, something I have wished for myself. This one, by “Cora,” I could definitely relate to: “I wish everything wasn’t so hard!!!”
It made me wonder what Cora was struggling with. But I can read in the exclamation points and squiggly faces the frustration. And some determination.
I, too, wish everything wasn’t so difficult. I’ve heard people say that struggle makes the victory sweeter, that you have to work hard for things worth having. But there’s also the fact that sometimes, we make it harder on ourselves.
I’ve been struggling in one area of my life lately, and I’ve found what works best for me is to examine my thoughts, do some journaling, get coached, surround myself with people who believe in me even when I’m not so sure, and let go of the expectations. Just like the wishing tree, write it down and let it go.
What do you wish for?
you know what works for you, Emily…love that! xo