Wednesday, August 29, 2012

What is Above the Clouds

A few months ago, I flew back from SLC to Seattle.  Although I had given myself plenty of time originally, everything that could go wrong did.  I missed my flight.  I arrived at the gate running, sweaty and exhausted.  I told myself, "If that plane crashes I will have quite a story."  Instead of the purpose being to protect me from something, the purpose of missing that morning flight was to show me something I had never even considered.  I was rerouted via Denver.  On the final leg home, I got to see one of the most beautiful things ever - a sunset over clouds as far as the eye could see.

As we landed, we dropped from the spectacular beauty into the familiar wet and darkness.  While in the grey skies, I never considered what occurred OVER the darkness, what was there all along.

This experience was an epiphany for me and a metaphor for my life.  The last years of my marriage and the first years of my divorce have been difficult and seemingly never ending cloud cover.  I had hoped there was light at the end of the tunnel.  What I didn't realize is that the light was there all along, above me.  Like Dorthy and her Kansas, the power to get there was also there all along.

If Dorothy had known of her power from the beginning, we would have missed a great movie and a great adventure.  If the rise above my clouds had been instant, I would have missed out on learning and reconnecting with who I am and what I have to offer and all that Heaven wanted to teach me.

One of the greatest gifts of my divorce has been reconnecting with my life's work and passion.  I work with clients who struggle with eating disorders (which happens to be a cloud cover in their life).  I see myself as one of the beacons pointing them upward and inward to learn what they came here to learn about themselves.

So, next time we find ourselves deep in the dark cloud cover, remember what is going on above the clouds and allow ourselves to rise up and into that light.