Everyone loves a Lighthouse
Photo Credit: Liz Erb Firmstone; North Pier Lighthouse, St. Joseph, MI
Who doesn’t prefer a light to guide their way? A clear direction, an identifiable path, a safe way forward to a destination. We have many lighthouses in our lives. It can just be a matter of whether their bulbs are working or not. Some bulbs may need to be replaced, some are bright and some are dim.
It can also be a matter of which direction we are looking. Becoming intensely focused on one thing can be very useful when applied with purpose and specificity, but with that focus we are choosing to block out other signals.
When you are feeling adrift and listless, you are not powerless. You can choose to put your attention toward looking for lighthouses in your life. These may be people who care about you, opportunities at work, a voice from within that wants to be heard. Lighthouses are everywhere, seeking to help guide us along our life path. They are steady and strong and patient and they will be there whenever you are ready to see them.
The weather is a big factor in whether or not we can see a lighthouse clearly or consistently. Sometimes clouds roll in and then what. Oh No! We will have to navigate with our intuition and trust ourselves that we are on the right path and that the clouds will clear. We will be OK after the clouds are gone; even if we are not in the spot that we expected to be in. That is life, real life, messy and glorious life.
A guide, a sage, a mentor, a friend - we have many terms for the people who show up as lighthouses in our lives. These relationships are to be cherished and will likely change over time as we move along our path. We are seeking to discover which “direction” is the right one for each of us. The direction we are going will change many times in our lives as will our “lighthouses”. Ultimately it is us who get to decide which lighthouses we “see” and which ones we follow. There is great adventure to be had and great excitement to be realized as we journey our life’s path. Eyes wide open and letting the light in can surely only enhance the experience.