Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Allowing, but not Chasing Chickens

On my first day pet-sitting at a new ranch (8 cats, 6 hens, 2 ducks and several house plants) I learned how NOT to catch a chicken.

I went down to the pen to say hello to my new charges when I spyed one of the black hens had flown the coop. She was now racing around the perimeter of the coop, periodically stopping and trying to squeeze back in through the large chainlink.

My initial thought of simply shaking the cracked corn treat can and waiting for her to approach didn't work because of my impatience. I kept walking toward the hen rather than standing still and waiting for her to come to me.

My second attempt faired better: Steve, co-owner of this ranch (and experienced chicken catcher) waited in one spot with the treat can while I snuck up behind the chicken. I missed multiple chances to scoop up the bird and toss her into the pen because, well, I'm a chicken.

Finally, I surrendered to my truth and told Steve I'd just keep her pointed in one direction, Steve continued to stand still (at the pen door) shaking the can, and voila, the hen is now happily laying eggs for my breakfast.


Photo courtesy of www.123rf.com
Chasing that chicken felt an awful lot like chasing my dream. The one thing I know from my practice of Visioning(R) and using the non-dominant hand method of journaling is that allowing a dream to happen is much more enjoyable--and a lot less effort than chasing down a dream as if it were an escaped, clucking chicken.

Chasing a dream assumes that we have all the answers.
Allowing a dream is surrendering to your internal life questions:

Who are you?
Where are you coming from?
What do you want to become?

By surrendering and investigating these questions through the internal exploration of poetry, music, art, movement, gardening, biking, yoga, meditation, scrapbooking and writing, we allow ourselves to live the questions. To evolve.

Surrendering to your heart's will is a subtle, yet dynamic process that is often lost in the cacaphony of modern living and all of it's viral and noisy technology.


How will you allow your dream to manifest today?

Post Your Answer. I'm listening.