Recently my husband reserved a campsite for us and we spent a couple of nights tent camping on a lake far away from the city. I was surprised at how the little trip away was so rejuvenating. I guess sometimes getting a little distance and change of scenery can be just the ticket for a breakthrough.
The first afternoon after we set up our tent, we took a little nature walk. The golden wheat color of the tall grass was beautiful enough, but to my delight resting on the grass stems were damselflies and dragonflies.
They stayed still for long periods of time, allowing me to capture some of the most detailed photos yet of these magical insects.
But the second day was even more amazing. In the evening we took another walk this time to the dock area of the campground. Just as we started to walk up the ramp, a dragonfly landed right on my shirt.
I've never been so close before and I was able to see every small detail of its intricate body. It was a stunning experience. Stephen took a few photos with his phone while the dragonfly held on to my shirt for several minutes.
Dragonflies represent transformation, change and living into one's full potential. Transformation doesn't mean tweaking, it doesn't mean small adjustments. It means completely taking on a new form and having a completely new set of skills and abilities. Dragonflies go from nymphs that propelling themselves around in the water to mature dragonflies that flying through the air. And not just any old flying, they can fly in six directions, change direction mid-air and hover for up to a minute! They go from the drab color of their larval state to brilliantly colored bodies with transparent wings. My choice of the dragonfly as part of the title of this blog was purposeful. I aim to completely transform, to go from swimming to flying.
Now swimming isn't a bad thing. In fact I love to swim. The swish of the water around my legs and arms is a wonderful feeling. But think of the freedom in flying! What came into focus during our brief camping trip (with the dragonflies to stimulate my thinking), was that I just have too much stuff cluttering my life. Too many books and materials from past careers and old hobbies. Too many clothes and shoes. Just too much stuff from my "swimming" days. And it needs to go because it's draining my energy for absolutely no good purpose and keeping me from "flying".
So in the week following our camping trip with the dragonfly encounters, I tore into the many boxes that have been stacked in our dining room. By the end of the week the room was neat and orderly.
A lot of stuff is gone, thrown away or given away. Our dining room is now a functional multi-purpose room. It's a dining room, art studio, and computer work station all in one. I have more work to do to simplify life, to better focus my attention on the things I want to put my energy into. But the clutter is down to a manageable level as evidenced by the fact that I have actually been getting a few hours of artwork in each week! That's a fantastic feeling! And a very dramatic sign that transformation IS happening.
