A year ago I did what many might label “foolish” behavior. I was packing up all of my things from a beautiful, but temporary housing situation in Southern Maryland and had zero plans for what was next. All I knew was that it was time to go and I had a deep inner knowing to simply “trust” and “surrender” without a plan.
I resisted this “foolish” guidance. I tried to plan. But every plan I mustered up felt wrong and off. The only thing that felt right was to follow my inner guidance and promptings to trust and step out without a plan.
Just do what there was next to do.
I knew to pack my things. I knew where I would be for the next few days. I knew I had work to do that I could do from pretty much anywhere that had internet connection. I knew I had resources I could call on (to avoid living in a van by the river.) But it did feel “foolish.”
My logical brain protested to my heart. “Smart people make plans.” “Foolish people don’t.”
Luckily I have supportive friends who lent me their supportive ears. On the day I was leaving, good friend and colleague, (and spiritually wise woman), Kimberly Schneider offered to do a “tarot card” reading for me. The card she pulled was…of course… “The Fool.”
My first reaction was “Oh no.” But when I sat with the deeper meaning I realized the perfection. The fool is about “New Beginnings” and stepping out into the unknown with “foolish” innocence and trust:
When The Fool appears in a spread, he is a signal to strip down to the irreducible core, and interrogate whether the Querant’s self-vision is obscured. …Another interpretation of the card is that of taking action where the circumstances are unknown, confronting one’s fears, taking risks, and so on.~Wikipedia
By going with the ‘no-plan’ plan, and driving off in early April with my greyhound, my laptop and essentials, I experienced a juicy and unexpected reward: a new level of freedom and joy washed over me that I had never felt before (but dreamed of from confined spaces, like school desks and subway commutes).
My story also has a happy ending. Within a week I had an invitation for a temporary home in the Catskills that I would have never dreamed up the day I was packing and trusting. Close friends opened their vacation home to me and I spent an amazing 4 months in the mountains before beginning the next chapter that lead to home ownership in upstate NY.
None of it planned. It was about learning to journey with a deeper level of faith, trust and surrender in my life. And learning to trust what made my heart sing.
What would be possible for you if you could really trust your day to day internal compass? Sometimes that means planning but sometimes that means just going at it moment to moment. What is your threshold for trusting this deeply? I’ve learned that the more willing I am to trust, the more available I am for life’s magic.
“When you step out in faith like the Fool, others may declare you insane. And the end result (or what I call “the form”) is never guaranteed. What is certain though, is that you can’t be The Magician unless you’re first willing to be The Fool.” ~Kimberly Schneider
* * *
If you would like to walk the Path of the Holy Fool by making space for that “Still Small Voice” of your Heart and your Soul, then join author, Kimberly Schneider and for the Let Your Heart Sing: Virtual Vision Retreat on April 13th!
The Let Your Heart Sing: Vision Retreat will:
- be the perfect place to launch a new chapter of authentic living for yourself
- assist you in releasing what’s no longer serving you and your life
- help you access guidance for your life and dreams
- introduce you to unique journaling, treasuring tools, and visual exercises that will take you deeper into your own discovery process
- energize your life and help you attract new opportunities
- maximize your clarity and reconnect you with YOU
- be a fun and safe space to discover your Soul’s wisdom
http://www.soulfilledlife.com/vision-retreat/
*The above tarot card is from the beautiful “Affirmations for the Everyday Goddess” 22-card deck.
