What is holding you back
I recently heard the story of two men who went to drink in a neighbouring village one evening. It so happened that the two villages were separated by a huge river. They had to use a canoe to cross the river and to secure it so it would not drift, they tied it with a rope.
On returning from their drinking spree, thanks to their drunken stupor, they forgot to untie the canoe. They rowed and rowed the whole night, thinking they were making progress, yet by morning they discovered they had not moved an inch. They had been straining against their own security.
How often does life put us in similar situations?
Something that once served us well; habits, strategies, relationships, or even fears, becomes the very thing that holds us back. The “rope” that once anchored us for safety now prevents us from launching into new waters. Some limiting beliefs such as I am too old for that, I have a logical mind I am not artistic, I am a woman (or even I am a man) – women or men do not do that in our culture!
And our drunken stupor? perhaps our inability to pause and reflect. Our choice to be in constant action giving ourselves little or no time to evaluate what we are doing and achievements thereof.
Ignatian spirituality, a spirituality I love, invites us to pause in self-reflection every so often in a day, to discern: What needs to be untied in my life? What once gave me stability but is no longer helping me move forward? This is the essence of the Examen, to notice not only where God has been at work, but also what attachments keep us stuck in one place.
Leadership, too, requires this courage. While security feels comforting, growth asks us to let go, to risk, to step off the safe shore and trust that God is with us in the unknown. Without that moment of awareness and decision, we may keep paddling hard but never make forward movement.
So, I leave you with this question for your own leadership journey:
What rope is God inviting you to untie today, so that you can move forward with freedom, courage, and purpose?