The Angel of Possibility

The picture to the left is called a Possibility Angel. When I saw it I just knew it was perfect for this entry. As I was thinking about the idea of What is Possible, two people kept coming to my mind. They were Anne Frank and Nelson Mandela. I could not help but wonder how Anne could see the possibility in life when she could not even see the light of day. Hidden away in an attic, knowing that at any moment her family could be found and taken away to a death camp. How could she see the light in that? Yet her writing shows a person of great inspiration and compassion. I think about Nelson Mandela, who through his years in prison, never grew bitter and could still see possibility for his life while offering compassion to those who held him captive. More recently, in fact just a few months ago, I heard about a group of climbers who got caught in a terrible storm on Mount Hood. They were lost for several days in a raging storm with little chance of survival. When they were rescued they were asked, " What did you do?" They reported that they did many things right, but the most important thing they did, was to maintain a positive frame of mind. They made this their intention, and never allowed each other to think negative thoughts. They never allowed themselves to give up hope. In essence, they believed what was possible in midst of a situation that looked impossible. I think that belief in what we can't often see or feel is the Angel of Possibility.

Many of us have probably not been in this extreme kind of situation but I am sure we have all been in places in our life where we have been left with the question of what is possible? I know that is certainly true in my own life. All of my growing up years were filled with all the forms of abuse. My world looked pretty dark not only to me, but also to everyone who came in contact with me. It was difficult to see that there was any possibility of of keeping myself safe, much less find a way out of my oppressive and desperate situation. As an adult, when the trauma of my childhood looked me square in the face, I again had to ask, what is possible? I remember one day when I was 8 years old I saw in my minds eye, my heart. In the center of it I saw a flame so small it could barely be seen. I did not have words for what I saw, but I knew that flame meant a way out of where I was. I knew it then, as much as I know it now, that the flame showed me that something else was possible for my life and that it was present inside me. You might say this wisdom was beyond my chronological years of understanding, but that is the point exactly. This wisdom does not have barriers, it is a simple truth that is available to all of us. It does not matter what our life situation is, because we all have that flame inside us that allows us to see what is possible. I encourage you to look into your heart to find the essence that allows you to see what can be. Embrace it with all you have and let the Angel of Possibility guide your path.
Blessings to you!

Sandy