Secrets of Life

"The tallest oak in the forest was once just a little nut that held its ground." --Anonymous

Chasing a dream can be a daunting and scary endeavor. What if you fail? What if you're not good enough? What if you actually get there only to discover it's not what you thought it would be? I am ensnared in the graduation fever of the pending Wake Forest graduates. Many of them have told me they're not ready to leave, and most of them confess that the experience of graduating feels surreal. They all seem a little shell-shocked and considering the monumental crossroads they are standing on, that reaction is understandable. College life is over. Time to step out into the great, big world as an adult, because it's nearly official--they are no longer a child.

I don't believe we ever completely outgrow the angst of facing a new endeavor, saying goodbye to the "comfortable" and throughout our lives we remain in a constant state of flux as our circumstances change. I have frequently gone back to the Conversations With God series when I need to help put myself back into balance or point myself in the "right" direction. Two passages have provided an anchor for me, so I offer them now to anyone currently standing at their own crossroads.

"The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew. Seek, therefore, not to find out Who You Are, seek to determine Who You Want to Be." (p.20)

"Yet I teach you this: when you choose the action love sponsors, then will you do more than survive, then will you do more than win, then will you do more than succeed. Then will you experience the full glory of Who You Really Are, and who you can be." (p.19)

"Life is not happening to you, life is responding to you."--Anonymous

*Image from picstopin.com
*Quotes from: Walsch, Neale Donald. Conversations with God Book 1. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1996. pp.19-20.

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