Living in the interior Alaska (red spot on the map) is different than anything before. You experience all sorts of wild fears.
For example, walking around the house instantly sends me in the 'alert' mood, making my senses grasp more noises and smells. The natural beauty of this place cheers my heart and feeds my soul, but the 'avalanche' fears are still there, making me stop and look for wild animals while praying for protection at all times. The scariest it ever got was to be stopped from my 'immersing in the nature awe': by concerned drivers that told me mamma moose is just feet away from me, or by just seeing these huge, beautiful moose with their babies, feeding on grass on the side of the street...My mind stops working instantly and my emotions of fear take over, making me hurry in the opposite direction (which is somehow the longest). Crippled by fear, I start hearing noises I have not heard before and even the wind blowing the leaves gently scares me. I can only say that we need to be careful in handling our fears, as these bundles of emotions and energy can just cripple us, making us paranoid and hear and believe in things that do not even exist.
IWhen Sam, our hyper dog, accompanies me, it's even worse. I fear for her impulsive reactions and us ending in some 'mama moose's love hugs...I fear her making the situation worse with her barking at the non familiar animal and her excitement to just meet another animal that might as well become her new 'play' buddy. When all this walk is over, and I am finally in the safety of our home, I can think back how many times having the wrong person next to you just makes you fear more...There are people that are just barking and jumping and do not understand what's going on, but rather make everything worse with their noise...
I love living here...Whatever happens: rain, snow or wind, it is just beautiful all the time. Living inside of this massive block of nature kind of makes me more aware of the majesty of our World: makes me trust more and makes me fear more - all in the same time.
This place can be lived in a daily awe, or it can just get more and more depressing as the winter approaches...Short, grey days with no sunlight, quiet and serene everywhere - it all looks like frozen postcard of an unreal territory. More than that, it might look like I am damned to develop the only skills of this world: the skills of distinguishing between different wild animals, the skill of baking cookies and sipping on hot chocolate all year long - these all seem like lazy ways of spending some time you don't care about; not real life skills that can take you to the next level we've all been dreaming about. More than that, I do not fancy any of these Alaskan skills, but I'd rather be in cafes and museums, walking around big cities and discovering some hidden historical sites, or would rather be in a dusty library working on a boring university project.
In the end, it all comes to a choice, of course. My choice.
Do I let the environment dictate who I am to be? Do I let my justified or unjustified fears rip me off of my identity, dream or destiny? Do I let the other 'hibernating' people tune me into the hibernation mode and print all over me fears that I didn't even know they existed? Am I brave enough to acknowledge my deepest desires and rise up to them -in spite of everything?And when there's simply no way for any dreams, am I still believing in the One that granted me this life and purposefully situated me where I am? Our roles are vital, wherever we are, and they need us wholly, not crippled away by any fears.
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| I'm not a visual learner, but a photo can instantly bring clarity to words. |
There are two options to choose from: getting close to the mountain and climbing on it, taking it into possession; or walking away from the mountain, deleting it from your memory and heart.
The closer you will get to your dream, the more difficult it will become. There'll be more fears,more tiredness than at the bottom of the mountain.
It is in the law of the universe to experience Resistance every time you attempt something bigger than where you are. The Resistance can be anything that holds you back, and most of the times it is just own own fears of not making it, of getting it all wrong. It is the fear and anxiety you experience when you learn a new skill or try something for the first time. It can be the way we know we're stepping up and doing something that gets us out of sunny and comfortable valley.
Steven Pressfield, an inspirational writer that's been on Oprah's show (see link at the bottom), believes that this Resistance is just part of gravitation. It is like the shadow of a tree. It what accompanies anything and at all times, it is this part of the universe that wants to hold us back from the dream that would take us back.
In our Bible terms, it should be what Paul was referring to when he said that he wants to do good, but something from the inside makes him do the opposite. We're certainly living in a spiritual world where we feel invisible forces. Doesn't matter what we do and where we go, feelings of fear will try to embrace you and squeeze you in a bear hug for as long as you allow them to. What people forget is that we all fear, most of the times. We fear when we start a new job, when we try a dating website, we fear when we meet new people and we fear even when we try a new cookie recipe. Fear is a reality we feel but we do not see. Fear can become a very powerful reality that can steal away the good reality that God has for you. We need the power of the fears destroyed, and this is possible only by relying on the One who made you for this very purpose you're walking in. “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Ps.34:4).
As children of God,we need to let go of fear and embrace trust. Trusting in God releases God's power, energy and potential over us. Bearing God's name, entitles us to all his resources and future victories, by faith. Embracing this reality, which is God's reality, will help you stay on your path, pursue your dream and get to the top of that mountain. Your career, future family, future dream - they all bear your name. They're all yours as God designed them to be!
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Now just start where you are, just start it! There are no shortcuts, you just need to start as you can.
I find it releasing, friends, that we are all going to experience Resistance any time we dream higher than the visible, than the achievable. I have personally experienced Resistance all the time, especially before I won my biggest battles. The bigger the battle, the bigger the Resistance. Living in the serene Alaska is beautiful, quiet and wonderful as long as you only visit...I'm living here, living my dream of a family, and it has been like a peaceful ooze after the long struggle we had of finally getting together. But now, new dreams are forming up, dreams of a bigger future...Let us all decide to get closer to our dreams with every day that passes by, let us decide today that we will take the step that we've never taken before. By faith. "All things are possible to the one who believes."
See the Super Soul Sunday show with Oprah and Steven Pressfield at the link below AND encourage your friends to rely on the One who changes the perspective!
http://www.oprah.com/own-super-soul-sunday/Super-Soul-Sunday-Full-Episode-Oprah-and-Steven-Pressfield-Video
