Looking Out and Looking Up

Some months ago, I mentioned only recently discovering that I have a sunroof on my car – something about skin cancer, wearing a hat, taking risks, and then of course the heavens opening up, metaphorically at least, when you take the time to look toward the sky.

Several weeks ago, winding my way through a tree-lined two-lane road, I had another sunroof epiphany. Sunroof open, wind blowing through my hair (singular), “driving it like it’s stolen,” suddenly seeing the dirt on my windshield that had been there for weeks, I took action. Generous doses of washer fluid and worn wipers smeared away even my porthole view of the road ahead. Simultaneously, blue skies rained blue fluid through the top of the open sunroof – it couldn’t be the blue sky falling on my now wet hair (singular), could it? Unable to see reality ahead and now unable to see my blue sky dream-visions above, I had temporary blindness and a need to pull over and reassess.

How do we get to that place where we might be looking out and looking up at the same time, leading to double vision, or blurred vision, or perhaps no vision at all? Shouldn’t we have gotten clarity before beginning our journey (insert project, plan, implementation, or mission)? Shouldn’t our blue sky idea (insert dream, hope, desire, or wish) been distilled down into something more tangible as part of our preflight routine? It would be wonderfully simple if work, home, or life flowed so smoothly – it would also be unrealistic to think that it might.

With almost every project unexpected results surface. With almost every plan comes change. With almost every implementation new opportunities arise. With almost every mission what was possible seems impossible and then possible again. With all our journeys new dreams appear. So, what do we do with all this stuff that if we consider it fully means that we may have to change our process for getting to our destination, and perhaps even change our destination?

Well, I suggest that we balance our need for outcomes with our need for process and remain open to a change of either one or both. Openness and flexibility will help us to reconcile our dreams with our immediate plans. Understanding that with most every action there can be a re-action (a “do over”) will help us find the opportunities that unintended consequences bring.

My advice – become your own “dream catcher,” clear your mental and physical pathways for imagination, innovation, and creativity, believe that the sky is never falling, and don’t be afraid to change courses in the middle of a dream.