Have you ever been on a camping trip and needed to start a fire? Did you know that there is a specific way to ignite the fire so it is able to grow? On my first trip many years ago to the out doors, I thought it was just getting a bunch of logs together and setting them on fire. But as I watched someone with more experience than I methodically put the logs in the form of a tepee with space in between each log I was amazed. One of the most important things she told me is the fire must have room to breathe,” you must approach this with intelligence and respect, you cannot smother it or it will not grow and the match that ignites that fire will die.”
Reigniting our dreams is very much the same way as putting together a good fire. I realized this as I spoke with my sister who has become my partner and mirror in this process of resurrecting my hopes and dreams. This imagery of the fire came very strongly into my mind and the words of this experienced fire keeper resonated in my being, ‘ Don’t smother the fire.” I immediately thought of how I was allowing the dream that we had created to be smothered by the doubt and worry that had been plaguing me for the past few weeks.
This is a very old habit one that I know many people can identify with. As you begin to loose that thread of your hopes and dreams becoming a reality there is nothing but worry and doubt that begins to crowd your mind and this begins to smother the spark that is capable of igniting that fire.
Too often we withdraw into the dark corners of our mind and allow these emotions to smother our dreams. Too often we allow the voices in our heads or even of those around us to smother that one spark that keeps our dreams alive.
As we face the many things that are going on around us, the many changes occurring, maybe it is the loss of a job, or the loss of your home to foreclosure as we are seeing so many facing this loss of their dreams, whatever it may be, how do you keep that spark going and not allow the fire to be smothered.
The process becomes the same, as I sat talking with my sister I realized we were giving the fire room to breathe. Who is that person in your life? Look for people around you that can assist in moving the logs of worry, doubt and fear. It is only in this process of sharong and partnering that we nurture the fire.
