I’m love the water but I’m not a sailor in any way, shape, or form. I do love to be on a cruise ship but I don’t think the captain is going to let me steer the ship. In order for boats of any shape to sail smoothly they need constant maintenance. One of the things that boats have to contend with are barnacles; those little creatures can create major problems for any floating vessel.
Many years ago I was spending time with my oldest niece (who is currently 21). A friend of mine allowed us to use her pool and we went for a swim. My niece was about three at the time and was taking swimming lessons. If you’ve ever had kids in swim lessons you know the levels are differentiated by names like tadpole and shark. My niece was in the water traveling the edge of the pool and she called to me, “Uncle Greg….I’m a barnacle!” It brings back very fond memories, but it also makes me think about what we think are the barnacles in our conscious walking lives.
I want you to think about those things in life that grab on to you and won’t let go. Consider the amount of drag on your life as a result of these “barnacles” or life interruptions. When you are saddled with life’s barnacles you expend energy just trying to stay afloat. It impedes any progress on your health and healing journey.
You never know when something will attach to you until it begins to cause problems. It requires you to seek within your heart and soul what’s dragging you down. Once you find the barnacles, like a boat, the goal is to remove it to resume smooth sailing. How you rid yourself of the barnacle may vary. Read Dan Harris’ book 10% Happier and try meditation to remove emotional barnacles. Have a creative streak then Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way will take you through a process that has been holding you back in your artistic endeavors. Perhaps you need to read Pema Chodren’s The Places that Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times, addressing the spiritual barnacles that impede your journey to wellness.
It’s cute to be a symbolic barnacle in the pool as you’re learning to swim, but those real life barnacles will slow you down, even derail your journey to health and healing. Promote smooth sailing by checking for life’s barnacles and removing them to create a sense of wholeness body, mind, and spirit!
Want to remove life’s barnacles? Visit http://www.survivingstrong.com
Learn to use your creativity to remove life’s barnacles at http://www.timetolivecreatively.com
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Pilgrim Pathway/Surviving Strong 