Yesterday an update on my beloved MacAir went wonky and my laptop asked "would you like to continue in safe mode?" I'm like ... yes siree! I would love to move forward feeling safe, thank you very much.
Then today, I had the wrong print settings (or it wasn't properly connected to my printer or something, I honestly don't know, tech is not my thing) and the screen prompted
"Would you like me to resolve future conflicts for you?" Well, how very thoughtful! Yeah, that would be awesome. Please go right ahead and resolve those future conflicts for me.
Thanks very much indeed.
Oh, if only life was as helpful as my Mac, right?! If only every time things got a bit tricky we could press "escape" and continue in safe mode. Or press "shift" and have all those future conflicts resolved at the push of a button. Wouldn't life be just dreamy? It kind of makes me giggle just thinking about it.
But of course life doesn't work like that, does it? There is no magic button, or if there is I haven't found it yet. But then, perhaps that's what makes life this beautiful rich tapestry that it is. When I look back I can see that the times I have had the most growth have been through resolving conflict myself, even though it scared the pants off me, or proceeding despite the fear in what felt like a very unsafe mode.
The way we stretch and grow as people is by sometimes being prepared to push the boundaries; by being open to feeling a little unsafe. To willingly be at risk as we take a leap of faith in a new relationship, new country, new job, new career. It's that willingness to proceed outside of our safe mode that makes us who we are. The magic "safety" button would actually be really disempowering, convenient but disempowering. Being brave and moving forward without it is actually where the golden moments in life can be realised, no "escape" necessary.
Embracing or even welcoming a period where we feel uncomfortable, and well outside our comfort zones, stretches us to draw on strength and courage we don't know we have. A good friend of mine calls it "putting on her brave wings" which I just love. So, if life is a bit tricky right now, and you wish it would all magically just fix itself, know that sometimes the way out is through. The definition of courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to move forward despite it.
So put your brave wings on today.
