A couple months ago, I was working in our garage with the large overhead door open. I heard a frantic buzzing and tapping sound. I looked around to discover an itty-bitty, and very scared, hummingbird pecking at the glass window in the garage.
For the sake of this story, I will name this little guy Herman. Herman was so incredibly laser-focused on getting out of the garage THROUGH the clear (well, actually pretty dirty) glass window, he could not see the big garage door open behind him. This enormous opening to the world was so close. It was the gateway to allow him the freedom to fly out and away.
As I watched him buzzing and tapping his beak on the window over and over and over again, I just wanted him to take a moment to stop pecking, be still, regroup, pivot, and turn around to see the expansive opening available to him. Herman did not need to keep beating his poor beak on the impermeable glass window. He just needed to turn his head a little to the left or to the right to see how much space was open behind him.
We can all be so laser focused trying to achieve something. Sometimes we do need dedicated, consistent action in order for us to evolve, even if it means we get a headache along the way.
Yet, other times, when we are not evolving, the headache drives us to insanity if we are continuing to do the same thing, over and over and over again, with no movement, all while expecting a different result.
Like the glass garage window, the direction we are going may appear to be clear; however, no matter how hard we hit it, we will never break the glass. We will never be free.
Freedom will not be found through that method, or with that effort.
It is within that magical moment, when the insane headache becomes so unbearable, we face the façade. We see it for what it really is: a front, a disguise, a dead-end that does not allow us to fly out to freedom.
If something is not flowing, moving, evolving, or progressing, no matter how hard you try, or beat your head against the wall, or an unbreakable garage window, perhaps it is an invitation to take a moment to be still, regroup, pivot, and turn around. Could there be an expansive, simpler opening to freedom available?
This is a non-paid endorsement, encouraging you to reflect. Are there any impermeable glass windows that you are tirelessly pecking on, or even getting an insane headache with?
Are you expecting to find freedom through an unbreakable portal?
Might you be able to take an itty-bitty moment out to stop, be still, regroup, pivot, and turn around to see an expansive opening to freedom available to you?
“Not everything that’s faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed that is not faced.”
- James Baldwin
Do you have any pivotal moments in your life when you experienced freedom by taking time out to be still, regroup, pivot, and turn around?
I am so curious and would be delighted for you to share on social media. If any of this resonated with you, please share this with your circle and/or with someone who may be going insane, struggling to find freedom.
There simply may be another, simpler way out.
Oh, and for Herman, I am happy to report that after about 20 minutes of gentle coaching, persuading, and guiding, I was able to redirect him to move to a different area of the garage. Once he finally turned around, he was exhausted. He patiently, reluctantly, took his time to rest before flying out into the big, open, beautiful world through the garage door opening. It was a day filled with lessons for each of us.
On a different, more sad day, another hummingbird must have pecked or flown so hard into a different window of our house. Unfortunately, he did not make it through. My son named him Nolan. Together, we prayed for Nolan’s soul to be at peace. My son gave him a proper burial as we envisioned his spirit soaring in our big, open, beautiful world.
One gentleman who always enlightens me on his fresh perspective on soaring through this life is local resident, Robert (Rob) Chance. Rob is intentional to create space in his schedule to be still. Within this time, he also captures pictures of our beautiful world in nature:
I am taking Rob’s lead to be more intentional to create space to be still:
Another time when I pivoted:
