6 Lessons from a Hidden Staircase

A few days ago while weeding on the front yard I started removing grass from rocks that made a small steep path to the side of our basement.  The more I removed weeds and grass the more treasures I found.  What looked like several large rocks going down began to transform into a hidden treasure.  I had a nice stone staircase path.  I looked like an archaeologist digging, hands deep in the soil, grabbing chunks of grass.  I was determined to uncover decades of secrets.  What I found was not just the remains of a path but an inner guidance with each rock I cleaned.  There are lessons everywhere!Lesson 1: We all live one step behind and one step into the unknown.  We are simultaneously exiting the past while entering the future.  The hardest part is finding the balance to stay present.  One of my favorite quotes is by Martin Luther King, Jr. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”  We walk on faith.  I dug out that staircase feeling the unknown was a hidden treasure.  In the end, after two days of work, I found a beautiful new way of looking at my front yard.  It lifted me to new heights.  It doesn’t matter how long those steps have been unexposed.  What matters is that they now have a new purpose.  Surrender into the unknown.  That's where the magic begins.Lesson 2 (my cousin sent me this one when I sent her pictures of the staircase): “Sometimes your steps are hidden from your sight by weeds, like troubles, that try and cover them. But they are never gone.”  In our weakest and darkest moments we are covered by debris, weeds, and dirt.  We can’t see the light.  Each step forward seems to be a struggle.  I almost gave up the idea of removing layers of grass as I couldn’t get to the entire staircase fast enough.  Some people call me stubborn.  To me, that’s very negative.  I am tenacious.  I am persistent.  I know what I know and it becomes my truth.  Don’t get me wrong I also know when to finally throw in the towel.  God places obstacles through signs.  If I had begun to remove the grass and I hit a cable or pipe I would have stopped.  That’s the way troubles appear and disappear.  How we stop and move forward is determined by the strides we take with Divinity.Lesson 3: Trust your instincts, dig deeply, get dirty and find the treasures you’ve been suppressing inside of you.  I love a quote by Mark Nepo: “The culmination of one love, one dream, one self, is the anonymous seed of the next.”  There is no difference between what is buried and what was planted.  Trust your inner wisdom.  If you want to take on a new hobby, a job, or a new relationship don’t wait for it to come to you at the most opportune time.  Make the time.  Get into that dream and dig your way to your goal.  It’s easy to give up, or better yet, never start because failure is a stigma that tells the ego “you can’t do this.”  You won’t know what’s waiting for you if you don’t begin.  DO NOT dismiss the baby steps you can take every day.  Miracles and treasures are everywhere.Lesson 4: Every landing is a safe haven.  Ever noticed that steps all have landings?  Lots of them!  Have you also noticed that some staircases don’t have the right footing or stride?  I have an old staircase going into my basement.  It was poorly made.  There is a step and a landing somewhere in the middle that is off.  It makes you want to leap forward going down.  It forces you to hold on tightly going up.  Steps are metaphors for the decisions in life.  When unsure of the decision, stay on your landing.  You cannot go at anyone else speed.  My fiancé, Matt, is a very tall man.  When we go hiking it takes two steps of mine to catch up with one of his.  I start the trekking trying to keep up and then I realize I am not in a marathon.  Either he slows down or we hike apart.  You have to take care of you.  Stop, land, take a breather and continue.   Life is not meant to be a marathon.Lesson 5: We require tools to make things happen, whether it is a shovel or your own two hands.  “Accept yourself, your strengths, your weaknesses, your truths, and know what tools you have to fulfill your purpose,” Steve Maraboli.  We always become what we envision. We need the tools to shape us as we shape everything around us using them.  Your hidden potential just needs a little reminder.  Make things happen.  Don’t just stand with invalid excuses that you have no tools to mold your life.  In your heart, your hands, and in your being are the tools needed to create anything you want.Lesson 6: We are the creators of our paths. There may be a hidden staircase but if you don't choose to take the first step you will never know what’s in store for you.  This goes back to lesson 1.  I also believe that your life is your individual beautiful staircase, but the banisters are those folks around you supporting you.  You are not alone on this journey.  Whether you feel your journey is going downward or reaching new heights, you are never alone.  Divine guidance is always with you.  The love and support you get from others is enough to help you move to the next step of your path.As I return this morning to my beautiful staircase, while I go gather more rocks from the back creek to lay them and cement them, I am reminded of how precious these findings are to me.  Each new cycle of my life is a brand new footstep of opportunity to make something beautiful.  Even those nasty weeds that covered the ground have a purpose.  Unveiling what’s beneath is always a scavenger hunt.  Go find your truth and make each step count!