In August, I took an amazing trip on a ferry up the coast of Alaska.
We stopped at some of the small towns along the way and I became fascinated with the tradition of totem poles.
They are stunningly beautiful but also tell stories about culture.
I learned about a totem named for Fog Woman, a mythical woman who ushers in salmon with the fog to feed her people and keep them safe.
I decided that I wanted to find a small replica of the Fog Woman totem to take back with me as a special symbol.
I found a small hand carved totem and now it sits now on my desk.
Little did I know how powerful that would soon be for me! Tired and a little down when I returned, I figured this is to be expected after such a trip.
When my fatigue and low mood did not change after a couple of weeks, I became concerned.
I also felt like I was really wandering around in the proverbial "fog ".
(So o.
k.
, maybe I am usually like that but this was a lot, even for me!) As I explored the roots of this feeling, I realized I felt like a salmon swimming upstream, and it was very tiring.
I wrote it off to September being a busy time for me and kept going.
Eventually, I had a routine physical exam which showed nothing wrong.
Yet, my inner self whispered a different message.
Finally paying attention to the inner voice, I consulted a wonderful holistic practitioner who said, "Your mind, heart and spirit are so strong that you don't realize that your body cannot always keep up.
" As soon as she said this, I knew it was true and was exactly what I had needed to hear.
I had been getting these messages but didn't want to hear them.
At some level it was a relief because she confirmed what my body had been telling me.
Now I was ready to listen.
I remembered that about 3 years ago I felt I wanted to to slow down a bit and play more.
But when the recession and the accompanying fear hit, I ramped back up and just kept pushing.
Clearly now my body was saying that I need to go back to my original plan and re-prioritize how to spend my energy.
Amazing that a small wooden image had the perfect message for me! Fog Woman showed that the gifts of abundance can come out of a fog.
I don't need to always "push the river" and be afraid that I won't have what I need.
Wonderful things come to me when I relax and operate not out of fear and scarcity but out of peace and reflection.
Look what gifts I was given from this trip.
And yes, I am a little less "foggy" now...
back to my normal level anyway and am feeling much renewed and restored.
Who knew a vacation could do so much...
I think I'll plan another one soon.