YOU CAN GET THERE FROM HERE!

YOU CAN GET THERE FROM HERE!
There are very few maps to help us make our journeys of the heart. It is not a journey we make alone, for we need good friends to tell us when we have taken a wrong turn, and put us on the right road again. We have to remember that “no pain, no gain” applies to mental as well as physical progress.
Sometimes on our journey through life we came across problems that are like brick walls, and we need the courage and motivation to map out a way to surmount them. If you can’t go through the wall, try going round it. If one door won’t open, try another door. Some people are in a very tough situation and are hurting so bad they have a hard time getting motivated to change. They need support to move in the journey of life. This process may take years.
It’s one step at a time. When you run into a block, try to be happy where you are, then congratulate yourself for having got that far, then use the block as a stepping off point for the next part of the journey. Never give up! Hold the dream, and keep dreaming. Your dreams will tell you where you want to go.
As we go through life, we sometimes become like the hermit crab. We change and grow and have to move from one shell to another. The time when we are without a shell is when we are the most vulnerable but, the journey must be taken. For the body and mind. Also, the crab usually has a choice of returning to the old shell, though we may no longer fit into it properly, so it feels like a prison or an institution instead of a home.
Living in an institution can cause real problems. Sometimes, incorrect information is given them; this information becomes a basis of knowledge or understanding of a situation. Then when you leave the institution, the gaps in your knowledge become apparent and a new start has to be made. Low self-esteem is a major difficulty for those who are institutionalized, and this may make it hard to begin the journey. When we are constantly being reminded of our limitations, it makes our limitations seem greater than they really are. We should set our own limitations, and not allow others to set personal limits for us. We have to believe in ourselves, and keep a balanced view.
Of course, fear of the unknown brought about by new situations make it difficult to trust enough to bring about changes. Sometimes problems can hound and haunt you but, try taking one very small step outside or beyond them, staying in reach so you can step back if you have to. You will be surprised at the blessings I guarantee you will get if you take that step!
Sometimes, in order to make the change, it is necessary to leave behind a past experience, and this will hurt both you and them. But, trying to mix two different situations is difficult, and time and “space” is needed to get your act together. The often one can reconnect again.
Maps are good for traveling around the physical world but, our inner journeys which reflect our real feelings, are ones that need very careful mapping. Religion is one kind of a map but, not everyone reads the map the same way. Also, it is easy to get into the trap of believing the interpretations of others, rather than believing for themselves.
The physical map changes because the boundaries of countries often change, and the map of our lives often undergo drastic boundary changes too. Remember that just as there are speed limits when you travel the highways, so there are speed limits to interior travels. Only we who take the journey of the heart can set the speed limit so that we, with God’s help, arrive safely at our destination.