Many years ago, I was driving through the mountains. Honestly, I was a pill. I was in the mother of bad moods. Nothing was going right and I was carrying my feelings on my sleeve.
About halfway through my hundred mile trip on a two lane road, I found a turtle in the middle of the road. In fact, it was actually sitting on the center line. As I approached, I noticed he stuck his head out, only to be scared back into its shell.
Everything in me said to stop and move the turtle to the other side of the road. But, you know… the bad mood and all.
I sped by like he didn’t exist. Several hours later, I was driving back from my visit with my relative and noticed something in the road. I blinked, not believing what my eyes were telling me.
That turtle was in the exact same spot in the road as he was hours ago when I’d left him there. He’d not moved even an inch in the direction of his goal. Not one! This time I pulled over and moved the little guy safely to the other side of the road.
As I drove off, the wisdom of that encounter bubbled up within me. Here are some of the things I learned:
If you want to reach your goal, you have to stick your neck out. Every time the turtle tried to move forward, a car came by and scared him back into his shell.
You can’t get where you want to alone. We all need help. To guide us, encourage us, even carry us from time to time.
If you don’t follow your heart the first time, it will keep nagging you. When you least expect it, that thing will show up right in front of you. You won’t be able to escape it.
I’ll never forget my encounter with the turtle that day. Somewhere in the woods of northern Alabama, a turtle is living his dream of being on the other side. But he never would have gotten there without someone reaching out.
What about your dream? Does it seem like every time you stick your neck out, someone or something scares you? Feel like no one will help you? Don’t shrink back into your shell. Keep moving forward!
What is your dream? Have you started moving toward it? Feel stuck? Share it here!
You are so right about not following your heart and it nagging you. When I saw the little kitty in the parking lot, I kept going, but my heart kept telling me to go back. Finally I did and rescued Mazie, who taught me a lot about love. That it's not always shown by the other person, or maybe it's show in ways we don't recognize.
