Deadly Distractions and Sea Turtles

While on the Big Island of Hawaii [which explains why you haven’t seen a blog post for a while], we came across a bale of Green Sea Turtles hovering on the ocean’s edge.

Seeing these turtles, I was reminded of the dangerous journey new born turtles face when starting out in life.

The cycle of life for the turtle begins when the female crawls slowly onto shore between May and August to dig a hole and lay her 100 eggs. The unborn turtle eggs incubate deep down in the sand for two months then hatch and emerge but only survive if they find their way safely to the ocean.

The key to survival is to follow the brightest horizon which in a perfect world is in an ocean ward direction.

This is where it gets dangerous because the world isn’t perfect. Beaches once free from man’s development have been invaded by artificial light – lamp poles, restaurants and the lights from homes and condominiums along the coast where turtles are born.

Artificial light can mean death to the young turtles as they confuse counterfeit lights with the real thing and move in the wrong direction.

Sound familiar? How many times do artificial lights in our lives distract us from really living!

What counterfeit lights steer you away your true path to a hope filled future?

Some of the artificial lights that distract me:

• Things outside my control
• People who won’t change (as I’d like them to change of course!)
• Worry over an uncertain future
• Wasted time on technology and gadgets
• An attempt to produce results instead of focusing on the process
• Avoiding the hard or the soft conversation
• Being busy but with activities void of meaning or purpose

When I find myself chasing these distractions, my peace goes out the window, joy is a distant reality and I’m pretty miserable.

What is the bright light on the horizon of life?

The bright light on the horizon will be slightly different for all of us. The key is to know what you’re true horizon is and head towards it. What helps me move towards the light of the horizon (and away from life stealing distractions) are three guiding principles.

Three guiding principles for moving towards a life giving ocean:

1. Know your values and let them guide you forward

For me, I put high value on connecting with God and family, making a difference, being real and always learning. When I move away from these, I start to die but when I keep them in front of me, they give life.

2. Practice self-awareness and adjust accordingly

When I start to feel stress rising, anxiety strong and joy absent, I will try to do a self-check. What’s going on within me? How am I impacting others? What needs to change? What do I need to let go of or hang on to? What’s distracting me from being at peace, loving unconditionally and being joy full?

3. Process hard news and loss with patience

I found out this week that my next surgery is two months later than I expected. Some other news we received created deep sadness. Life on this broken planet will disappoint and pain us deeply at times. You move towards life only as you deal patiently with pain, loss and disappointment.

So, what about you?

What represents the horizon’s bright light for you? Have you identified the distractions taking you in the wrong direction?

Are you following your true path or letting meaningless distractions keep you from truly living?

The incredible news is unlike sea turtles who must operate on instinct, we have the ability to choose, think, adapt and change direction when we realize we’re on the wrong path.

What distracts you from your right path?
What needs to change for you to get to the ocean?

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