4th February, 2018
The red triangle you see at the end of the Rockweather logo is part of a much wider concept called Beyond and Beneath. In 2006, I began drawing together a disparate collection of mentoring resources that I had been collecting into something more cohesive. These had started to be shared with clients and close friends during some of the deep heart-to-heart discussions we were having. Sometimes, over coffee with a friend or during a quiet time with a client, I began to hear some of the frustrations and issues they were facing. We all seemed to be banging up against a lot of the same challenges and I cherished hearing how these people were tackling things in different ways.
That brought opportunities for me to also open up my heart about what I was experiencing, what I was learning and the Christian faith that I based my beliefs upon. There is a hunger we all have for something deeper. The times that we spend with each other on social media are too thin to be truly fulfilling; we crave face-to-face time. I found that I also wanted something to help when we were exploring issues together, resources that I could leave behind to keep the conversation going for the next time.
There are two key concepts in Beyond and Beneath, captured in its logo. The first red triangle represents the goal(s) that we are aiming for, the mountain we are pointing towards in the distance.
We are all aiming for something, no matter how dim our perception of it is. Some of us have thought through those goals deeply while others only have fuzzy, early-stage ideas. That’s OK; all this is a journey, a journey that should take us Beyond where we are currently.
There are only two dots in the first picture to remind us that we will seldom have every step of the journey worked out in-advance. Most of us are lousy at planning so we have to travel with a certain degree of trust, with faith, for the steps that are further on that we cannot see clearly yet. Psalm 119 verse 105 captures that concept perfectly for me: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” I really only need enough light on the road to illuminate my feet and the path where I am walking. The rest has to be worked out as I go. That requires faith.
The second part of the picture is accompanied by the word Beneath. Note how the red triangle is submerged beneath the line. The iceberg that sunk the Titanic did most of its damage below the waterline. That is often what happens to us on the journey. The things deep inside, including unresolved issues and needs, are usually the things that scuttle our ship. Along the way, we need to address the deep stuff, learning new skills and patching up holes. Often, we need to throw useless stuff over the side that is weighing us down. There is a feeling of lightness that is delicious when we get rid of excess baggage <grin>.
Over the next few weeks, I will be posting the current collection of the Beyond and Beneath resources, topic-by topic. With each one, there will be a download link that will allow you to take a copy of the material. None of it is copywrite; please feel free to use it yourself and share it with others.
A wonderful thing happens each time I share this material with people. They give me feedback and begin sharing new material of theirs in return. We are all works-in-progress and I enjoy that I am part of a circle of friends and clients who are facing all this hard stuff head-on.
I would love to hear your stories, either via the comment links or via the Contact Me page.
I love this stuff….
Next installment: If nothing changes…
The Rockweather Collaboration 