Communication Cleanse: My Mud Puddle Parade
by Tera Warner
Yesterday I waited all day to get my chance to go for a walk with the dog. There was one call after another and a never-ending list of things to do and finally…
…it was time to go outside. I laced up my shoes, grabbed a sweater and headed outside. At precisely the moment the door closed behind me, thunder erupted in the sky. I looked up. To my left were dark, ominous clouds, and to my right, a glimmer of sun preparing to be swept away by the coming rumble. I ran in the direction of glimmer (naturally!) and decided I would get what I could out of this long-awaited outdoor adventure!
Be Willing to Experience Anything
As you might imagine, I momentarily experienced the temptation to crawl back inside and let the rain win, but I didn’t. I winked at my dog, and said, “We’re gonna get wet, Lizzy!” Then proceeded to race with the wind, run like a deer and duck under trees when necessary.
Since I was the only one crazy enough to be outside in the middle of a down pour, I started shouting my appreciation for everything from dandelions to dry socks! I yelled as loud as I wanted, and almost as loud as I could. If I’d have done that in the broad day light someone would have locked me up, I was having so much fun!!!
I could have turned around, %$firstname$%.
I could have gone back inside feeling defeated.
But I didn’t.
I was willing to get in communication with the rain, the wind, the sopping wet socked experience and doing so was absolutely fulfulling.
And herein lies the secret to successful communication…
When things are uncomfortable…
When you’re not sure if you can communicate with someone…
When you have a part of your life that you struggle to handle…
Even when you don’t know how or where to start in communicating with someone or about something…
…you gotta look the tiger in the eye. You’ve got to be willing to experience whatever comes at you. Now that’s a tall order, because avoiding and evading can seem like the easy way out, but let me assure you that is NEVER the easy way out.
The only way out is through. You gotta stick your teeth in Life to taste it. You gotta roll up your sleeves and get uncomfortable, messy-haired and willing to experience a few things to really be ALIVE and incommunication with the world!
Let’s Try This Now
What can you do to stick your teeth in life? To be more willing to experience things and be present to the sometimes-uncomfortable facts of life. If you live your life avoiding, deflecting, evading experience because you don’t want to be uncomfortable…
…then who’s gonna make living happen?
Love and Gumboots,
Tera