Pedal a Little Faster

 

We have started in a new direction with our chins held high. The wheels are gaining momentum and we look forward with all the enthusiasm we can find. We did it! After so many years of hesitating and drawing back into our shells wondering if we are making the right decision, we found the courage to claim a better life. The winds of change feel very good. Now is the time to breathe deeper, take a “calm break”, and dream about where we have been and where we want to go. No serious plans right now--they can wait for a moment--just a fun peek into the future.

Wheels of any kind--bicycles, motorcycles, Ferris wheels, roller skates, potters' wheels, and all those planes, trains, and automobiles--have one thing in common and one purpose: momentum. The force that moves us forward. Once the wheels start moving, it's very hard to get them to stop. This is a true picture of ourselves.

Maybe we didn't choose our particular situation and we still feel a little shaky, but our single-again lives are moving whether we want them to or not. The questions are which direction do we want to proceed, how fast will we skim along, and who is steering the wheel? It feels great to finally be in charge of our own lives, but we have to confidently take the wheel and move past the twenty miles per hour that was holding us back at one time. If we do not pedal a little faster, the lack of momentum will cause us to fall over! Nothing is worse than having to get back on again and again and again. It is not impossible, but it is not as fun as speeding through bumps, obstacles, and valleys.

Direction

Where do we want to go in the first place? The wheels are moving, so there is no time to let go! We have dared to dream, ponder, and plan about what we want to do with our lives. It could be leaving one job and taking a better one that will fit our gifts and talents. It could be finding a cozy cottage, luxurious apartment, or farmhouse to live in as long as we are happy. The dream might include moving to a town/city we have always loved. It could even be getting a fantastic makeover from head to foot! Anything is possible if we use our imagination.

Speed

Is it time now to move ahead? Or will the ideal plan take some much-needed assessing to work out the details? We may need to map out how fast we can get to our dream place. All of that is okay. Do we need to obtain a higher degree to land that job? We might be able to take a vacation to a different town and search for a place to live there. Our dream job could be in that new location. The opportunities are nearly endless!

Control

The American poet, Thomas Stearns (better known as T. S.) Eliot once said, “It's never too late to be what you might have been.” This is one of the truest statements ever. If we think about it, our age will continue to creep upward year by year by year whether we attempt something or not. So why waste this time we have been given? We begin by jotting down plans in a daily journal because when we see them on paper, it becomes real. Attainable. Possible. We registered for the next college semester. We ask for that job promotion and get it. We stick our necks out for our dreams once and for all. We don't look back.

As single-again women, we are responsible for not only ourselves but our children too, if we have been so blessed. We are their heroes and examples. They constantly watch and hopefully learn from us, even if our teenagers would never admit to it. No one else is going to initiate these changes for us (nor would we want them to). So, are we ready to take on the world? We can begin with our little corner of the garden and spread like wildflowers!

Tip of the Day

Only when we rely on God and try our very best every day, are we going to arrive at a point of accomplishment that builds our confidence so we can do even more.

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to 

accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20 NLT).