If you think of your life as one that floats the tide on a rubber raft, where does that tide take you? In making decisions about time and energy, I always look around me, reflect, and listen, then follow the tide--the place that my heart, vision, values, research, energy, and longing take me. Typically I'm not surprised with the direction, but every once in a while there's a bend in the flow that surprises me and energizes my direction in ways I did not expect.
Recently that happened. At once I became energized in ways that I didn't expect, ways that reawakened interests I experienced with strength long ago, but not recently. It was a welcome return to a place that I had grown distant from, but a place that was close to my heart, beliefs, and desires. In a sense, it was like coming home after a long hiatus. I am ready to embrace this new call, a call I welcome.
Of course, a turn in one direction, means a turn away from other directions--directions that consumed me in the past ten years. I don't regret the travels of the past ten years since that journey brought me home again with renewed hope, investment, care, and strength. As is so often true, I tend to long for places, people, and events about ten years before they appear--it's a way of life for me to see a destination long before I arrive.
This return marks a quieter, deeper time of life--one where to be present is more important than to lead or voice my opinion. This destination marks a time of warmth, belonging, supporting, creating, and embracing rather than forging, pushing, remaking, leading.
The tides take our lives in good directions if we travel with our values, vision, and love as the compass that leads us ahead. Onward.