Walking among thorns can be a very dangerous business. It is not just the thorns themelves that can lead to calamity. When we find ourself surrounded by thorns, our internal dialogue is often changed. Under usual circumstances our mind, body and soul carry on a conversation that sounds something like this.
The Body may say, “My feet hurt.”
The Mind then responds,”Yea, we have been walking for several hours. I told you this was a hard trail before we started.”
That’s when the Soul may suggest, “I am not all that tired. Surely we can make it to the next bench!”
And so, we keep on walking while looking for a place to sit.
Unfortunately, when we find oursleves surrounded by thorns, our internal dialogue may take a different direction After the Body reports the sore feet and the Mind acknowledges the situation and remembers the difficulty level on the map, the Soul may reply, “Yea, all these thorns are scary. We could fall or step on one. I don’t want to keep going. Let’s turn back!” Living among the thorns can drain the soul of hope, cloud it’s feelings of confidence, and let worry consume the energy needed for the journey forward.
These thorns can appear as a troublesome relationship that struggles to find any common ground. They can show up as a chronic pain that seems to flare at just the wrong moment. These thorns can be challenges that seem overwhelming. Unnfortunately, some thorns have become old friends who remind us that we will never succeed. They may tell us that we are not smart enought, handsome enough, or clever enough to be of any real value. Life among these thorns can steal away our courage, our energy, our confidence, and our hope.
How can we find our way among the thorns? We can take lesson from the little bird in the picture. He does not try to walk on the stem where he risks being pricked by the thorns. Instead, he uses the thorns to keep him safe. These thorns offer us an opportunity to rise above the fear and self-doubt.
When you encounter one of these thorns, grab ahold of it and rise up and look at it. You may learn something about yourself. Ask your self, “Why do folks like that irritate me so much?” or “Why do I lose heart when I face a big challenge?” In your question there is a nugget of self-knowledge that can help you deal with your thorns. But, even if that nugget is not immediately evident, you may discover that these thorns are not as dangerous as they may appear. In either case you will be able to walk among them with greater confidence, courage, energy, and hope.
You may hear your soul saying, “These thorns don’t look so bad.” To which the Mind may reply, “Yea, we used to worry about them. But we have walked through these before.” And the Soul may respond, “Okay, let’s get going. It can’t be too far to the bench!!
Keep growing! Keep walking!