Right Timing

Sandhill cranes flying over the Platte River in Nebraska during spring migration north

I’ve begun following a poet who calls himself Young Pueblo on Instagram. Every day I enjoy the wisdom and beauty of his postings. His post today touched me deeply …

maturity is accepting that there

are things you cannot force

people change when they are ready

creativity moves in its own rhythm

healing does not have a time limit

love blooms when things align

— young pueblo

Other words for this wisdom include radical acceptance, surrender, and patience. I think this must be the primary lesson my soul is learning in this lifetime—especially the patience part.

Another writer whose work I admire greatly is Katrina Kenison. Her February 25 blog post, “Delight“ is worth reading. One phrase she used that was so beautiful it made me smile was, “Snow still blankets the ground, but something ineffable has tilted toward spring.”

All too often I get gentle and not so gentle reminders in my life—usually physical reminders—that there is a delicate balance between right timing and pushing too hard. I think it’s easier for me to accept the ebb and flow in my creative work but far more challenging with my physical health.

It’s also devilishly difficult for me to know sometimes what action to take (if any). I ask myself…

Am I pushing too hard?
Should I work harder at this?
Where is the line between just enough effort physically and too much effort?
And does the line move from day to day?

I wonder sometimes how the birds and butterflies that migrate know instinctively when the right time is for them to leave. Do they make mistakes sometimes, leaving too soon or too late?

My belief about right timing is that the more I practice self-compassion and learn to listen to all parts of my being the better I am at finding the right rhythm for me. Still, I have surprises and setbacks every so often. Despite banishing “shoulds” from my life I still find myself thinking that I should do more or I should feel better. This will be a lifetime learning journey for me.

Each of us has our own achilles heel or challenge in life. What is yours?

May you walk in beauty.

Note: The photos in this post are from a trip we took to Kearney, Nebraska in March 2015 to see the sandhill crane migration. These magnificent birds stop along the Platte River in Nebraska on their migration north every year to rest and replenish before finishing their trip to their summer nesting grounds. During late February and March, thousands of these birds can be seen and heard. It is truly a magnificent experience to see them as they come to the river at sunset to roost and then take off at sunrise the next morning. Everywhere we went in Kearney we heard the honking of these beautiful (and noisy) birds.