Waves in the Right Direction

The first sign was the day she was out on the water. Down on the boat, out of the harbor, looking out at the ocean, it was clear to her even before the naturalists pointed it out, the water was green. This means it’s healthy, teaming with life. It was a sunny day, and the light reflecting off of the waves made the ocean sparkle, as though it were dressed up and ready for something big. The color of the water was welcoming, to her it said, “go ahead, this is the right way. Take another step in this direction. You’re moving in the direction of your destiny.”

That day changed her. Something in her clicked and she knew there was no turning back to the old ways; there would only be moving on and moving forward from now on. She decided to be more intentional, more awake, more present. She realized she could only bring with her that which continued to suit the person she is now and the life she is creating for herself. Everything else had to be left behind. She began forming new habits to meet her goals and make her dream life a reality. She shattered so many old ones on the floor, when she looked down, she saw the mess that they had created and the trouble they had caused her all these long years. She didn’t want any more of that; she was tired of the ghosts haunting her. Anything that didn’t feel right had to go.

That day out on the ocean was special. It was unlike any other she’d experienced in her adult life. Doing something unique, fun, and interesting, escaping from her day-to-day life, climbing out of the rut she’d been stuck in was liberating. She knew before she even made it happen that she wouldn’t want to go back, and she was right. She knows herself too well to be wrong about something like this. Traveling is an enormous part of the life she sees for herself and basically a non-existent feature of her current existence. Seeing new places and having varied experiences sounds like living, and what she’s been doing at home, well, not so much.

She’s been dreaming the dream for so long, she couldn’t have even imagined how good it feels to actually be living it. It’s like every time she approaches an intersection, all she comes to is green lights, able to glide right through. The contrast with the way she’s used to could not be more stark. The two life-styles, if depicted in visual form, would look more like an abstract painting than a black and white photograph, because the piece would be lacking all shades of gray. It would be like a silhouette of a person standing in front of a blinding, white sun: Complete darkness against all-encompassing light. She’s tired of the ceaseless hold-ups and the limbo of a red light life, being suspended in that scarlet prison.

The earth beckons her. The lush green of the summer, the life out there, the fresh air she’s breathing in when she’s a part of it, all look and feel to her like the future. The stale inside just feels like the past, and that’s not a place she wants to dwell much longer. When she’s inside, it’s too often that she sees red and she’s no longer going to be a model prisoner to the past. This space is lacking movement or change of any meaningful kind. There is no green there. That’s how she knows that it’s not the place for her. Any place she’s meant to go will be indicated as such with a green light. The rejuvenating fresh life of the spring and the thriving, vibrant world of the summer, the green eyes of a dear friend, these are all things she’s drawn to and that she holds close to her heart. Just like the ocean on that seminal day, the verdant pastures out there in the world tell her, “yes, come explore us. We are here for you. You are meant for more. Come and discover your destiny.”

Knowing how it’s always been there for her, she will dedicate her life to protecting it so that it can be there for others, and for the sake of itself. The green of Mother Nature is a blessing we can never take for granted, she knows this. The same can be said about the light, without which we would have no green. They are a perfect team.

She trusts nothing and no one, but her gut, and that green light. When she sees a green light, she knows she can have faith in where it will lead her. It’s never steered her wrong before, so when the green light beckons, she follows.