A lesson from a fish...

Sometimes I can be really hard on myself.  When I realize that once again I am back down in the lower realm or when I sense that I am just barely holding my ground, I can slip into a litany of self-criticism that results in an even greater decent. 
It reminds me of something I experienced last spring when Steve and I were on a camping trip on the shores of Lake Michigan.  We came upon a creek that flowed through a deep gorge.  

It was a steep climb and there were many places where trees and debris had fallen across the creek.  Our dog Lilly drew our attention to the fish that were swimming upstream.  

I was awed that these fish had made it across the beach and so far upstream.  There were so many obstacles!  How on earth had they made it so far???   The fish seemed to spend most of their time ‘standing still’ in the rushing waters.  And then they would seem to be ready to make another big push and they would attempt to swim to a new height.  Sometimes they made it and sometimes they slipped back downstream.  

I saw in these fish a similarity to my own Journey.  It was a long hard uphill climb with many obstacles.   There are times in the Journey where I don’t seem to be gaining any ground.  But if I stepped back and saw myself from a bigger perspective, maybe I would appreciate my efforts to simply hold my ground and gain the strength to make yet another push towards a higher elevation.

The Journey seems to follow a pattern.  Push to higher ground and then hold your ground and release all that no longer serves you... a lightening of your load…  a time to build greater clarity, strength and stamina… all that is necessary for the next big push to yet a higher elevation. 

Just like the fish, I am compelled to keep climbing up the turbulent stream to get to the still waters… to reach the place where I can create with Love.