You know that moment when a Truth hits you so perfectly that it stops you in your tracks? That's how I felt when I heard the Star Trek character, Jean Luc Picard, share his wisdom about how 'the past has already been written, but the future is ours to write'. In the show I am referring to, Picard talked about the most powerful tools being openness, optimism, and curiosity – while all the opposition had was secrecy and fear. (Let's be honest, fear truly is the great destroyer of dreams. Fear constricts. Fear stops up the abundant flow of opportunity. I liken the grip of fear to someone holding a pen over a blank page, yet not feeling able make the first mark - all while not realizing that they are the only author of their own story).
Here's the thing about old patterns of being that are based on past experiences: we get so comfortable with them that we start expecting that our futures can only be a carbon copy of what has already happened. We're missing something vital in that line of reasoning, though. 'Life' isn't interested in slavishly repeating Itself. The nature of Life is that It is constantly unfolding in new and creative ways. When we allow ourselves to unquestioningly follow what we may have been taught by someone other than ourselves, or when we only choose to walk in someone else's footsteps, we're actually blocking our own fresh possibilities.
Think about how so many of us hold on to grudges. It's like carrying around heavy baggage from our past that we insist on bringing into our future, no matter how much of a burden it may be. I remember holding onto resentment about a failed friendship for years; replaying the story of betrayal over and over. Each time I began deepening in any new relationship, that old story would whisper, "Remember what happened last time?", restricting me.
True abundance? That flows from a completely different place. True abundance comes when we allow ourselves to be channels for new opportunities by letting Life's Frequency flow through us freely. When we tune to the Truth of Life, that is when we create space for possibilities we have never known before.
Many of us walk around with a deep-seated belief that we're somehow deficient, or wired incorrectly. Fearing the judgments of others, we desire approval so much that it blocks the abundance that is our birthright and is always seeking to flow through us. Our past experiences become like walls that we build around ourselves, preventing us from experiencing the fullness of what Life is offering. What is the key to overcoming these old patterns? Getting our old belief systems out of the way in order to allow Life to move naturally through us.
Let me tell you about my colleague and friend, Collette, whose story perfectly illustrates what happens when we move beyond our fears. In Cumberland, Collette discovered that thousands of baby toads were being killed during their migration season, as they embarked on their crucial seven kilometre journey across bike trails towards their permanent homes. At first, she tried to help stop the carnage through the use of conventional methods such as information booths and the distribution of educational materials. When that didn't work, however, when the toads continued to perish catastrophically under bicycle wheels, something shifted inside Collette. She began to notice an inner voice that started pushing her so intensely to new action that she couldn’t ignore its calling any longer.
Despite her fear of outside judgment, despite worrying about being labeled "that toad lady," Collette finally couldn't hold back anymore. With her passion for protecting these vulnerable creatures becoming stronger than her fear, Collette stepped forward. She spoke to key people, demanded change, and her courage and persistence gained the support of two important regional organizations.
For nearly three months, Collette dedicated herself to creating real solutions. Working with the regional organizations, she helped to establish alternative paths for mountain bikers while also preserving safe migration routes for the toads. It wasn't easy work, but it demonstrated something profound: that when we move beyond our fears and allow ourselves to be driven by genuine passion and purpose, we create new possibilities that may have once seemed impossible. In Collette's case, thousands of toads were saved, and hundreds of community members took notice in a positive way.
Collette's story illustrates what writing our own future looks like. It is definitely not about letting our pasts dictate what is possible. It is about staying open to new possibilities and having the courage to act, despite our fears. The future truly is ours to write – we just need to trust ourselves enough to pick up 'the pen' and start.
I'm walking the path of discovering what that looks like too; learning each day how to let go of old patterns and embrace new possibilities. Sometimes it's scary. Sometimes it's exciting. Whatever your experience may be, I can tell you that it is always worth it when we choose to take charge of charting our own futures, rather than letting our pasts do it for us.
Now, when someone asks me, “What is your plan?” I am fine with admitting that I don’t have one - other than to keep listening, to stay tuned in to my heart, and to trust the desires and outcomes of each day.
What is calling you forward today?
Spoken and written by Jill Brocklehurst, refined with AI assistance. Edited by Missy Christensen.