Once upon a time, this painting changed my life. I call it an "aha moment."
Back in 1999, I was teaching a program that I created called "Ancient Ways" in collaboration with the New Hampshire Teen Institute, NH Court Diversion/Juvenile Justice, and our local Mental Health providers. It was good stuff, teaching the ancient ways to young people - watching them sprout and blossom, grow mighty wings, and fly with great confidence. Heal. Thrive. Live. Give!
As Ancient Ways became noticed and noteworthy I became a program director and then the executive director of several non profits. Within a few years time I wrote similar programming for other agencies, traveled, gave lectures, presentations, workshops, wrote grants, crunched numbers, and I got further and further away from what I really wanted to do - teach the program.
This image - of a teacher and her students connected to the body and spirit of nature and watched over by the ancestors, both human and non - is my good friend. Over the years it has hung on the walls of my classrooms, in meditation rooms, and at a holistic health center. But it was in the Reiki healing room of a local youth center when it really spoke to me.
As a good friend often does, it reminded me to take a moment to breathe when I began to wonder just what the hell I was doing... and why. It was while I was gazing at this artwork on that one day, exhausted and unfulfilled, that I stopped the madness.
14 years pass quickly.
I found my old friend several weeks ago, after its long absence from my daily awareness, carefully wrapped and tucked away in a box marked 2001 program materials. I was rooting around in the box because I have gone back to teaching a few local programs, and I needed some notes.
As I picked it up, I had another "aha moment." Truth chills and a long exhale.
Hello Old Friend!
It's time to get back to the work I was intended to do. Trust the Universe. Invite the students. Teach the Ancient Ways. I hung the painting on the wall of my office, set my intention, and placed my phone on the table below it. It rang.
Happy New Year - it's going to be a great one!
May we all be blessed,
Susan
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