First I saw him climbing up jagged bare rock. He began to talk to me about his journey.
“You can’t always go in a direct path…you must see which next step makes the most sense…the step that takes you further but also keeps you on solid footing.”
I watched him for a while traversing the rocks and cliffs, sometimes forward 
and directly up, sometimes a bit sideways and then back around to go up again. Next he took a huge leap towards a landing very high up. He almost missed but grasped the top ledge with his huge front paws. Suspended in air he struggled a bit and then found a footing for his hind legs giving him the leverage to pull himself onto the ledge. Whew. From here he sees far off into the distance….and the path from which he has come.
He shared with me: “That was close. I knew it was a little risky but I had to try. That spot was calling to me. Being here now I can see the rest of my climb more clearly. Our visions take us on a varied path and sometimes that place we know we need to get to seems further than we might be able to leap to. Remember that even though that place may appear slightly out of your reach, you would not be shown it if you were not capable of getting there.
Prepare yourself. Trust. Hold the vision clearly in your mind. And then leap.
Once you are there…as I am here…you have a different perspective. It looks different for me here. I notice some trees jutting out off in the distance. I think I would like to find my way there and enjoy the shade. Had I not made the leap here, I wouldn’t have seen those trees. They were not visible from where I was before. Each movement forward or sideways brings you a new vantage point. From there more possibilities become apparent.
Enjoy your journey. See the path unfold in front of you and know that the only destination is the adventure. You were meant to explore and enjoy! “
For the last couple of years I have been climbing towards a new vision and I understand what Mountain Lion was talking about. There have been times I seemed to have gone more sideways than forward but now that I am further out I understand why those side steps were necessary.
More recently I have been faced with that cliff that seems out of my reach. My guides have told me very clearly, “write the book”. And honestly, it terrifies me. It terrifies me because in the book I will share some of my childhood experiences. The thought of “telling” brings up feelings of panic and terror. Trying to tell when I was four got my dog killed and me tortured. And even though my adult intellect knows they cannot hurt me or my animals now, that 4-year-old is terrified. Even writing this blog is very scary.
But I’m not that helpless 4-year-old now. Now I have tools. I have learned ways to parent that child, to help her feel safe. I have learned how to listen to the true inner voice and the wisdom of my guides. I have learned how to manage my personal energy so that I know what is mine and what is not (most times ;-)). I can move forward. I can do this. And still I will be scared. But I will be true to myself and that matters more than anything. I will be true to my vision that every woman survivor deserves to know that her experiences were a catalyst for her to do great things in the world if she chooses. She is not a victim; she is a heroine.
Deep within each of us is a vision, a calling for our life. You may not yet be consciously aware of it…but it is there under the noise.
Your vision doesn’t need to be grandiose but it absolutely needs to come forth.
Are you ready to take the leap?
I invite you to share your vision here with the rest of the world…or at least the readers of this blog. There is something very powerful about claiming your truth in the world.
It is safe here.
Be my guest.
Wendy, You are AWESOME! You brought me the real in front of my eyes through your writing. I could feel your feelings!
Wow…This is SO powerful. And I can relate. The mountain lion is very wise in his teachings. It’s funny because I’ve already written the book and there is still so much more to say…my fear now resonates from a different place. With the book I took a leap but didn’t realize that there was a much bigger leap of faith ahead of me. I am immersed in the logistics right now…probably over-thinking it. I think I will re-read this post and listen again to what the mountain lion says.
Thanks for sharing your truth Wendy. You are an inspiration to me.
Thank you Wendy,
You and I have talked about this very subject many times. This week’s blog is very clear- it says all the things I forget when I go sideways or sometimes backwards. I must keep the vision clear and believe in the “journey”. My original goals have changed many times. Anxiety and fear often cloud my thinking, but I want to use my musical gifts and my work with animals to help kids with challenges. I agree with your guides, you are such an expressive writer, you should write a book. It would offer so much to so many……..
Blessings and light,
Karen
Wendy,
Thank you for being courageous enough to share this powerful post. My fear has always been that I couldn’t do what I really wanted to do because it wasn’t a real “profession”. I tried to be mainstream most of my life and it has always left me searching for more.
I have come to understand that I only need to grow. And, I can share what I learn with others. I can bring hope, love, strength and healing. Mountain lion is right, sometimes you move forward, backward or sideways, but no matter the direction you gain a different perspective from where you were previously.
I honor your strength and spirit…..
Renee
Very nice post Wendy! A few years ago I set things in motion without realizing it. However, I learned a few things along the way. It isn’t about the direction we are moving in as long as we are moving, sometimes deliberately, sometimes hesitantly, sometimes fast, and sometimes slow, but move we must. The other thing I learned recently is that sometimes, when we stand at the edge of a cliff (or about to make that leap to that ledge seeming so far away), we do need to take a step back, or even walk backward, to get a running start to make that jump anyway, even if it seems too far away.
Beautiful, I love the images of the mountain lion. So powerful.