Life,
In its many opportunities,
Seldom come knocking at your door.
We must,
In our own way,
You must,
In your own way,
Come out of your shell,
Even if it's just a little.
And of course,
This can be easier said than done,
For some of us.
Slowly,
Slowly,
One step at a time,
Make yourself comfortable.
For some of us,
Difficult experiences,
And the impacts of those difficult experiences,
Have meant that we have worked very hard to build up a safe,
Secure shell for ourselves.
We have worked very hard to create structure and boundaries for our lives that give us a sense of stability and offer peace.
Taking a moment now to see if and how that resonates with you.
The challenge is that as we grow and as time passes,
We can identify areas in our lives where we would like to try something new,
Where we'd like to take a risk or do something different,
Where we'd like to open ourselves up to life.
But this means coming out of our shell,
Taking a moment to see how you feel in this moment.
It is not easy,
As you know very well,
But I'd encourage you to take this time and space to think about two or three small steps you might take to come out of your shell just as far as you feel comfortable.
What two or three small steps might you take to come out of your shell in order to open yourself up to the possibilities of life?
Repeating out loud or silently to yourself,
I am ready for more.
I know it is safe to come out of my shell.
Situations may feel uncomfortable,
But I now have the resources to care for myself.
I can always rest and regroup if needed.
I know that more often than not,
The world outside is a friendly place.
I am ready for more and I know it is safe to come out of my shell.
I can always rest and regroup if needed.
I know that more often than not,
The world outside is a friendly place.
And one more time,
I am ready for more and I know it is time to come out of my shell.
Seeing how that feels for you,
Slowly,
Slowly,
Poke your head out a little bit,
Lift your head above the parapet,
Put something out there,
Have that conversation,
Do that research,
Make that call,
Open yourself up just a little and see what happens.
You can always retreat if you need to,
You can always pause to rest if you feel overwhelmed,
But it is worth taking that first step.
It is worth trying out the two or three things that you've identified.
Our time on earth is so brief.
I know how hard you've worked to create safety and security for yourself,
But now that you've done that hard work,
Use that safe,
Secure platform as a haven from which you can just explore a little bit and then come back,
Explore a little bit more and then come back.
And in that way,
Your world expands,
Opportunities come to you and you'll have a better experience of life.
May you be well,
May you live with ease and may you feel and be free.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
