Tag: courage

Courage, in an uneven footing …

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Silvereye, Foxes Lair, Narrogin, Western Australia

It’s just after 6 am as I write.  It is freezing cold in my clean but old motel room.  The ceiling is high, the air con heater sluggish, it will be hours before the room warms.  I’ll be gone by then.

Yesterday I finished work on time, drove into town, just a minute away, grabbed a cup of coffee and headed out to Foxes Lair.  I barely had 20 minutes among the trees before it got too dark to be there on my own.  It was all I needed.  I was renewed.  I am myself again.

I’ll drive home this morning listening to my favourite playlist.  If the roadworks are more accessible by day, I may stop off at The Woolshed in the tiny farming town of Williams and see if they have a jumper or two that I may like.  The quality of their merino wool garments is beautiful, light and warm.  I have an afternoon at home to tidy up some work before I drive to the north east Wheatbelt tomorrow, around 300 km away, where I’ll spend the next few days.  And then … a much needed break, in a warmer place.  The thought, quickens my heart beat.

I’ve been able to survive the rigors of the last few weeks convinced in the knowledge, all days are not equal.  Some days the load is lighter, and others, crushing.  Yes, my shoulders sag at times but thankfully I’ve discovered ways and means to rejuvenate.  A grove of trees, a strip of beach, even an empty paddock roadside, is all I need, to feel energised again.  I reflected on this early morning and found, I don’t resent the load, but I do feel lost when I don’t have the opportunity during a work trip, to be in nature.  I have professional supervision once a month but I feel my spirit needs ‘guidance’, ‘supervision’, every single day.  Without it, I careen under the weight of lifestyle.

It has taken a long time to realise, it is okay for demands of the day to be uneven.  It takes courage, to find core strength.  One just needs to ride it out.  I’d much rather have this, than a predictable lifestyle.  When I think back to the years when Monday to Friday, 9-5, was my compass, was the way to the bank, I’m surprised that I survived.  I guess, one never knows what one is missing out on, unless one has the courage to try it.

I woke up grateful this morning, I had the courage to be curious about what was around the corner, much like the tiny silvereye.  It would have been a life un-lived, if I hadn’t.

May you find and enjoy your moment of gratitude, curiosity and courage, today.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge :  Equal

The path taken

I was offered my first job just after I completed my clinical placement at the agency.  I was given permanency and after years of being a ‘struggling single mom’, I thought I would never leave the security.  But, life had other plans for me.

I was tapped on the shoulder by another agency and offered a six month contract.  Having bought a new car a month earlier, I was reluctant to give up my permanent status so I asked my manager if I could take six months leave.  My request was denied on the grounds they did not think I would return.  The new agency paid 20K pa more.  The agency had a point.  But I was furious.  I wanted to extend my skills and saw the refusal as an obstruction to my career development.  I went back the next day and resigned.

At the end of the six month period, there was a job freeze and I started to panic.  I had a mortgage and a car loan!  Plus two little children in tow.  I did what I usually do in times like this, I placed my trust in a higher power.  I started a very limited business, just to ensure there was some income coming in.

In my last week of my contract, I was offered three jobs.  The path I took was not of my choosing.  I worked in an environment where I had to deal with unpredictable people but the pay was excellent and I had more freedom with my hours of work.  Although they were very young, my children recall those days of stress with dread.  But I learnt so much about my profession, people and myself and I developed a degree of resilience I didn’t know I had.

I reduced my work in government over the years and focused on my business.  I looked at templates and did a five year plan.  In three months, my business expanded to cover the whole state of Western Australia.  On reflection, the path I was given, is one I was meant to navigate.

As I come to the end of another financial year.  I’m so grateful for all the opportunities the past year has given me.  I’ve met amazing people, worked with great teams and seen so much more of this beautiful country I call home.

DSCN7486.jpgI’ve criss-crossed the Wheatbelt, a region of some 155,000 sq km.  I’ve been further north east and further east of east, than before.  The resilience of folks in farming communities is something that strikes me each time I visit.  It must be difficult under circumstances where the pastures are green with rain and then 50 kilometres down the down, they are still waiting for it.  People think in terms of community.  What can they do, to make a difference.  They are quick to minimize the role they play, often with a matter of fact, “Well! that’s what one does!”DSCN8710.jpgThen there was the Kimberley region.  Beautiful Kimberley, an area that covers some 422,000 sq km of ruggedness.  Broome, is a favourite town but there’s a special place in my heart for Kununurra, a place I want to visit again on holiday.  I’ve experienced joy in this town in the company of birds and the excitement of spotting my first freshwater crocodile.  There are gorges and ruggedness to explore, and when standing still, blue dragonflies to observe.thumb_IMG_3092_1024.jpgI’ve visited the Midwest more frequently than I have ever done in previous years.  It is larger area than the Kimberley at 472,000 plus square kilometers.  The stunning landscape of the Coral Coast is memorable.thumb_IMG_2342_1024The mining region of the Pilbara, in the heart of Western Australia cover over 500,000 square kilometers.  It is harsh, hot, and humbling country.  Oh! how I love that red dust! Driving across it in summer was a highlight for me.DSCN0757And who can forget the South West, nearly 24,000 sq km of beautiful food, wine, trails, forests and coastline.DSCN9797Last but not least, the Goldfields Esperance region, covers over 770,000 sq km.  Esperance is where I spend three consecutive nights each month, so naturally, it is my home away from home.thumb_IMG_3174_1024.jpg

Life on the road is rugged and unpredictable.  I can stay in a 5 star hotel or, like in the Wheatbelt, in a tiny demountable where I tripped onto the bed as soon as I opened the door.

Someone famously coined the phrase, “Life was not meant to be easy”.  Maybe so, but it can be fun and adventurous.  To navigate, you just have to follow the compass in your heart.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, an angel visited me

via Daily Prompt: Courage

 

 

 

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It was a tough two days.  The lead up to it, even tougher.

For the first time in many years, I had an Alfie ‘what’s it all about’ moment.  I could hardly wait to get to the sanctuary of home to indulge in this thought.

At the airport someone called my name.  It was someone I knew many years ago.  She was on her way to see her daughter who was at boarding school.  “Boarding school?”,  I asked incredulously.

“Yes”, she smiled.  Her eyes welled up.  She thanked me softly.  “What you gave me is hope.  She can live a normal life.  You gave me courage to see this.  Our paths were meant to cross”, she tells me.

Little did she know, when we said goodbye, it was a fair exchange.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird