I heard a wonderful new song this week called, “Wasn’t Expecting That” by Jamie Lawson. It’s gentle, pop, folksy and it tells a story of a love, from the moment of meeting until the end. The song brought tears to my eyes. As I listened I thought about how many times in life I have said, “I wasn’t expecting that.”
I’ve said it when I’ve been anticipating something and been disappointed because it doesn’t turn out the way I envisioned.
But I’ve also said it, many more times, about something that turned out so much better than anything I could have possibly dreamed up.
The project I’m involved with in Kenya, Africa, building schools, started 5 years ago. It was the first time I consciously allowed myself to embrace a journey without fear, knowing that I didn’t know what any of the next steps should be. It has turned into something that I could NEVER have imagined. This week our new children’s book, written for the project, is even being sent to the publisher. I sure wasn’t expecting that!
The past 2 months I have been working with a group of women from the Tsuu T’ina Nation, a First Nations community on the edge of Calgary. The broad goal of the program I have created is to help them gain confidence. I prepared, I planned, I worried, I typed, I created, I revised ... Finally, I remembered that I didn’t need to know every step and I didn’t need to know how it would turn out. I just needed to trust that each of us is simply a person, trying to do our best, hoping that we are enough. And with that I have met and worked with these incredible women who are overcoming life challenges that I have never dealt with. I am not an expert in their lives, but I am connected to them in the most incredible way. I accept them exactly as they are, and in turn, they do the same for me. I teach them about listening to the sage inside of us and they teach me about using smoke from the sage plant to smudge – to clean their eyes so they can see clearly, to clean their ears so they can listen, to clean their mouths so they can speak with wisdom.
I’m not sorry I did the detailed planning but I really just needed to show up and be fully present as myself and trust that when a group of good people gather without their masks and with a common goal, magic happens. Together we are all gaining confidence. Wasn’t expecting that.
I hope that you’ll have a week filled with good things about which you can say, “Wasn’t expecting that”!
If you want to hear the song, ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhB5RaYrMDI
I’ve said it when I’ve been anticipating something and been disappointed because it doesn’t turn out the way I envisioned.
But I’ve also said it, many more times, about something that turned out so much better than anything I could have possibly dreamed up.
The project I’m involved with in Kenya, Africa, building schools, started 5 years ago. It was the first time I consciously allowed myself to embrace a journey without fear, knowing that I didn’t know what any of the next steps should be. It has turned into something that I could NEVER have imagined. This week our new children’s book, written for the project, is even being sent to the publisher. I sure wasn’t expecting that!
The past 2 months I have been working with a group of women from the Tsuu T’ina Nation, a First Nations community on the edge of Calgary. The broad goal of the program I have created is to help them gain confidence. I prepared, I planned, I worried, I typed, I created, I revised ... Finally, I remembered that I didn’t need to know every step and I didn’t need to know how it would turn out. I just needed to trust that each of us is simply a person, trying to do our best, hoping that we are enough. And with that I have met and worked with these incredible women who are overcoming life challenges that I have never dealt with. I am not an expert in their lives, but I am connected to them in the most incredible way. I accept them exactly as they are, and in turn, they do the same for me. I teach them about listening to the sage inside of us and they teach me about using smoke from the sage plant to smudge – to clean their eyes so they can see clearly, to clean their ears so they can listen, to clean their mouths so they can speak with wisdom.
I’m not sorry I did the detailed planning but I really just needed to show up and be fully present as myself and trust that when a group of good people gather without their masks and with a common goal, magic happens. Together we are all gaining confidence. Wasn’t expecting that.
I hope that you’ll have a week filled with good things about which you can say, “Wasn’t expecting that”!
If you want to hear the song, ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhB5RaYrMDI
RSS Feed