Beyond the Sky
A hot (and humid) hello from the southeast coast of Florida. I'm surrounded by exotic-looking plants and flowers as I sit in my sister's lanai. There's a lake in her backyard and I've become fascinated with wood ducks since there's a nest box on the edge of her property. We've seen the female swoop inside in the morning to be with her eggs after going out to eat for a bit.
There are also some sweet, little brown ducks (Mallards?) who come with their five ducklings every morning. I hold my breath as they swim back and forth across the lake since I've also seen the bulging eyes and head of the local alligator at times.
On land, in the yard, a pair of long-legged Sandhill cranes and their colt (as I've learned the babies are called) parade every day. At first the colt looked like a fuzzy baby chick with stilts for legs. Now, he or she is growing into those gams.
More and more, as I've traveled in the last seven years especially, I've felt the call of nature. This past year I've also felt a need to finally settle down somewhere. I really have felt like "the sky's the limit" on where I want to accomplish that, and yet, as this week's Monday Quote from Marilyn Monroe said,
"The sky's not the limit. Your mind is."
to which I replied,
"It's those pesky limiting thoughts." I have found myself restricting where I might finally unpack my boxes that my sister has so kindly stored for me. Whenever I would have a thought, I'd come up with a reason why that wasn't the best place. Some of the dialogue in my head sounded something like this at times:
"Boston's home -- you should probably settle back in Boston."
"Boston is too expensive -- look for somewhere more affordable."
"Maybe I should look near water, although coastlines are not the best places with global warming happening."
"How about a warmer climate? But, not too warm ..."
"Maybe I should see where it would be best to retire -- except I'm not sure I ever want to retire. I'll just look for the "next" thing to try.
"I like the idea of living outside the U.S. -- let's see ... I'd like to explore Panama, Uruguay, Brazil, Portugal, Italy, Mexico ... maybe I should just keep travelling."
After a while, I started to wonder if I was really serious about settling down and I decided I was avoiding making a decision. After some more careful thought, I realized I truly want to move to the Pacific Northwest, for now. So this summer will be my time to say good-bye to Boston, at least for a bit. I feel sad and excited at the same time. I love my home town and I'm ready to move on. There are some opportunities for me to follow on the left coast and, of course, I'm inviting everyone to come out and visit. I'll be settling into a much more rural area and I think that's part of the call. This process has meant getting in touch with what I want, how I feel, where I sense I'm being lead. I've had to listen to my heart and soul and keep my chatty, opinionated mind out of it since it can be ruled by my fearful ego. I've chosen to feel expansive and not limited and no matter where you are or what you're doing, this is what I wish for you.
I worried that I was going to carry around an extra 30 pounds (or more!) like my mother did once she got into her sixties. I struggled over the last few years until I let go of my limiting beliefs and over the last 10 months I took off the weight I'd gained. Now, I'm helping others feel better and be more healthy. If you'd like to know more about what I'm doing, feel free to drop me a line cummingsbarbara@gmail.com. I'm open to simply having a conversation. You don't have to worry or accept that it's a lost cause. The sky's the limit!
Sparkles and Love,
