Run Into Fences!
A coach recently encouraged us to run into the fences we’ve erected around ourselves because they’re keeping up from progressing.
I’m a storyteller, so upon hearing her advice, my mind naturally wandered back to childhood memories, visiting the farm where my mom grew up and was, at that time, owned by my uncle. Time spent on the farm, with assorted cousins and other relatives, during our summer breaks from school constitute some of my fondest childhood memories.
I can still taste the cold, refreshing water from the well in the front yard. I can still hear the screeching sound of the pump being primed as the water is forced up the pipe and into the bucket. I learned early on to avoid the chicken coop but loved walking through the barn and climbing the hay bales.
Those cows though! I loved those cows! Most of them were very tame and didn’t mind our petting them and gingerly walking through the small pasture where they were fenced in. One cow-visiting experience was not pleasant, though! I still can smell the dirt and sweat after a particularly long visit in the pasture. A bull, who was not usually in that particular pasture, was not in the mood for company! He started to snort and we backed away, as quickly as we could! In the process, I got an electrical shock from the wire, electric fence! I had always been able to navigate it gingerly, avoiding the shock! This day, I backed, full-on into it! And it HURT! A lot! I don’t think I ever even went near the cows after that day! I was perfectly fine, but my feelings were sure hurt!
What does this have to do with the title? My little story can lead you to believe I think we shouldn’t bump into fences! That much is true: we shouldn’t bump into them! We need to be looking around, keeping an eye on where we’re headed. Focus is crucial, or we will certainly, back into fences — and situations — we hadn’t planned on and are ill-equipped to plan for!
But the advice I received that day was to RUN INTO FENCES! Run!
· Don’t look back. We need to keep our eyes on our destination!
· Don’t dwell in the past. Take what we have learned and apply it.
· Stay clear-eyed and focused on the journey ahead.
None of this means we won’t make mistakes! It does mean we need to have a plan. One that includes those unexpected situations. Contingency planning is a crucial part of the process.
Don’t expect the worse, but definitely plan for it! When we’ve planned for it, it doesn’t catch us off guard, deter or sidetrack us!
What are the fences you have erected? What steps will you take to run into them? How do you think it would change your life?
