A surprise assault on limiting beliefs

Kanti has never jumped into a vehicle in her life, but yesterday she came close.  The trailer was packed for a road trip, the friends had arrived to care for Kanti and our home by the swake, and we were ready to go.  There were hugs and pets all around before opening the truck doors to get in. When I climbed in she saw an opportunity to put her head, shoulders, and two front paws in.  That was a far as she got, then she looked back over her shoulder to see if Dad was going to lift her in the rest of the way.  

How does the mind work?

Sometimes I am uncertain who is in charge in that doggie relationship. I wonder if we have fostered a princess streak in our German Shepherd or whether she really believes she can’t get in on her own. We have never owned another dog that couldn’t or wouldn't get into a vehicle alone.  Kanti is capable of it; when she stands up on her back legs her length almost matches Greg’s.  Yet, she hasn’t ever climbed in on her own. Somewhere along the training journey she developed some doggie reasoning for not doing what a much smaller less athletic canine would do easily.

Thinking time

I had lots of time to think yesterday as we passed through the Alberta countryside.  We covered a lot of territory, from the grain and canola fields through the foothills and across one mountain range.  We passed one green sign after another with interesting names on them.  The signs for Two O’clock Creek and Kootenay Plains Cavalcade Area finally convinced me to pull out a pen and notebook.  Wild Horse Creek was next.  It was probably named by the same creatively stifled person who named Two O’clock Creek.  I sipped my Holy Basil tea as I jotted down the names.  Who named Two O’clock Creek? Did they find it at two o’clock? How many years ago was the Cavalcade Area named? Cavalcade is an old-fashioned word you seldom hear or read.

The road signs were providing lots of stimuli for my rambling thoughts.  It was quite enjoyable until I felt something weird going on in my hand.  My pen had silently exploded and my hand was a big blue mess.  Ink was seeping everywhere. I avoided getting ink on the truck seats but my right hand was a disaster.  No amount of wet wipes would erase the blue.  That was the end of recording names on signs.  I was back to enjoying the scenery while my mind wandered around trying to weave thought threads into meaning.  

The thoughts skipped back and forth from Kanti to me.  What things was I not doing because I held a belief that I couldn’t?  What road trips was I missing due to fear of jumping into the truck with all my feet? Was I truly using all the creative gifts I was given or was I copping out and naming my road signs according to the time day?  How was my treatment of others encouraging them to be brave and to grow?  Was I guilty of stifling anyone in my life because of a need to be needed?  Oh my goodness, I have thirteen more days of road trip to be amazed by the sights and to chase the questions around.

Jumping in with all our feet

However, I am not just going to chase the questions around in my head.  This blog is in response to Natalie's 10 Day Blog Challenge Day 1. I am going to be participating in the challenge as a concrete way for me to attack a limiting belief and challenge my creativity.  Brace yourself dear readers!  Please come along with me on the blogging journey and share your thoughts and comments with me.