I was out for a paddle in my kayak on Yagisawa lake in Gunma recently, wanting to find an inspiring place to do some thinking and writing. It is one of the many magical spots in the Minakami area, and the recent crisp, clear weather we have been experiencing made the late fall scenery spectacular.
There was a glint in the late afternoon light about 10-15 meters above the lake, that I thought was just some optical illusion. And then it happened again. As I continued to paddle and got a bit closer, I realized what was catching the light (and the gusty wind) were strands of spider web. I couldn’t see the spiders on them because they were too far away, but with a surprising regularity, these strands kept gliding across the great expanse of open water in front of me.
Someone who knows more about spiders (or who isn’t too lazy to google it) would know exactly what this was about. I am pretty satisfied to imagine these wild arachnids putting one of their eight legs up to test the wind, and decide that, yup, today is the day to jump into the wind and see what the hell happens. How exhilarating, and what a sense of being alive!
Are you alive?
Or are you just living? Are you in your web in your tree watching others who are willing to take unreasonable leaps of faith in the gusty wind, knowing instinctually that there is something calling them beyond where they are now?
I don’t mean to indicate there is anything right or wrong about either option, it’s all a matter of personal choice. But until I get absolute proof that I will have another go round of life, I choose into being alive this time around.
Some questions that may help you assess how alive you are:
How much in your life are you doing because you think you should?
How recently have you been willing to make a choice in your life that scares the shit out of you - not only because you want it so much but also because it puts other things in your life at risk that you thought you wanted as well?
How much of what you do on a daily basis gives you energy, as opposed to draining it?
When was the last time you allowed the awe of being alive to evoke a tear in your eye?
I don’t know how those spiders make the leap of faith that they do, and I’m sure it doesn’t always end well. What I do know is that for us humans, truly choosing into being alive has a much higher chance of going well if you are supported, especially by someone who has the experience of choosing that again and again.
I’d love to support you in choosing to be more alive.
We’ll do that first by making agreements on how we will work together so we have a very powerful container. Then I’ll support you in getting clear on what it is exactly you want, and how you think you can create that. Most importantly, I’ll be there with you throughout the journey to support the personal transformation that will be required to experience being alive in ways you previously didn’t realize were possible.
Send me a DM on LinkedIn and we can talk about how to get started.
This was inspired partially by the wonderful Coaches Rising podcast, specifically this episode.