StJohn Miall
Every so often, especially when the turkeys are getting you down, things aren’t flowing well and you’ve managed to once again get out of bed on the wrong side, it’s nice to receive something that is encouraging, inspiring and heart warming.
Here’s such a thing…
“There are days when you are mysteriously lifted by the flow, like catching a breeze, and all you need to do is spread your wings and glide. There are days when you are climbing up a steep mountain face with hands bleeding, wondering why this is your fate to struggle so. And there are days when you reach the mountaintop and realize that the effort and courage were worth it after all.
But even at this moment of triumph, it is important to know that one day the clouds surrounding that mountain will lift and you will see that there are many more mountains left to climb, each higher than the next, stretching out in all directions. And then a ray of sun will illuminate one of the mountain peaks and you will smile and sigh, then climb down from this mountain and go on to the next.
And so, knowing this, you might as well enjoy the journey. Knowing this, you might learn to enjoy the feel of your muscles as they stretch, the expansion of your heart as you dig for more courage, the company of the other climbers you team up with from time to time, and the beautiful views you have along the way.
And one of these days, a breeze may come along that calls your name and you suddenly remember you have wings. You leap off the mountain, catch the breeze and just spread out those glorious wings, ready for the ride of a lifetime, lifted and carried, circling among all the mountains, experiencing things you have never dreamt of, effortlessly riding the flow.
And then that flow, that breath of wind, will begin to drop and you will grab onto a mountain ledge nearby, to find yourself again looking up at a peak looming over you, wondering what happened to the breeze and why you weren’t carried all the way to the top.
But this is simply the way of it, the way things are in this great adventure of life.
Ah, do you feel it, that freshening of the air, that little breeze? Do you feel it beginning to grow stronger and flow your way? Do you hear it call your name? Yes, yes, fluff up your feathers, open your wings. Perch out here on the edge of this cliff and get ready, get ready to leap and take a ride. Oh, what a rare privilege it is to be alive!”
Here’s my recommendation: Print this out, and keep it somewhere handy. The next time you are in need of a little fluffing up of your feathers, take a quiet moment to read it to yourself and know that it’s all ok.
This was written by Roger Harman from Corporate Heart. He sent it to me and my colleagues at Circumference as we were just starting out – what a marvelous inspiration. Thanks Roger.
StJohn Miall
St John was the Managing Director of a personal development and lifeskills training company in Victoria for 6 years offering a variety of courses to both the general public and corporate clients. In 1999 he co-founded EcoSTEPS P/L, a Triple Bottom Line Sustainability Consultancy.
More recently, his focus has been on the design and delivery of programs to both the corporate sector and the general public with particular focus on deeper, developmental work, supporting the ongoing building of emotional intelligence, coaching, leadership and personal development.
StJohn is an expert guide in the gentle practice of Meditation and its use by those wishing to explore their own inner landscape.
With over 25 years of training experience, StJohn has a wealth of experience to call on both in the design and delivery of transformational programs. He is known for his easy style and ability to make the complex simple and easy to grasp.
StJohn is now one of the founding directors of Circumference a company focused on the delivery of Leadership and Personal Development Programs. He will be facilitating a meditation course for the Quest for Life Foundation in Sydney called Meditation for Life.
Quest for Life Blog 