Cheryl Dale – Climbing Out of the Valley

I have a grandson just learning to walk.  I watched little Sean go from tottering on tiny feet before collapsing on his diaper cushioned bottom to flying across the floor with flailing arms and a grin that says “Here I go – can’t stop me now!”

How does that happen?  How does a little scrap of humanity that up until now has been carried everywhere figure out there’s something better – standing on his own two feet?   But standing isn’t enough.  Once he can stand he wanst to move.  And just moving isn’t enough.  Once he can move he wants to move faster, and faster, and faster. 

It’s all part of the inner drive to grow beyond; that desire to accomplish more; that need to triumph.  And it doesn’t stop in toddlerville.  It never stops really.  The desire is always there.  What stops is the confidence that pushes us to achieve. 

Lack of confidence keeps us from entering the race, taking the plunge, accepting the challenge.  The environment we operate in changes so fast.  We’ve fallen on our not too cushioned bottoms too many times and we’ve realized that the challenges get harder not easier as we move through life.

Take the social media challenge for example.  At one time I thought mastering the computer and learning to navigate the internet was the ultimate test of my ability to keep growing.  Then entered facebook, along came twitter, and pretty soon I heard the word “blog”.  I held back.  I resisted.  I lost confidence.  I began to think I couldn’t keep up. 

But, slowly and surely my drive to grow beyond outpaced my need to be safe and comfortable.  And that’s how it happens – every first step starts with the desire to jump out of the comfortable arms that are carrying you and onto the somewhat shakey  legs that propel you forward.

This is my toddling, unsteady, first step into blogging.  If you could actually see me push the post-it-now button you would see my flailing arms and a grin that says “Here I go – can’t stop me now!”

I plan to blog weekly at the beginning.  Please be patient with me as I navigate my way through the set up of buttons and links and other stuff.  I am blessed because when I can’t figure it out I have granddaughters to call on!  All I have to do is weather the “Oh, grandma…” part. 

So – if you are reading this, say a prayer for me as God takes me on this new adventure.