I’m on turtle time. This is my powerful reframe for some past negative beliefs and thoughts I’ve had about myself. I’m a late bloomer, and there was a time when some others, and I, believed that I was “slow”. I slept a lot when very young, was painfully shy, didn’t start talking quite on time, and I struggled all the way through school. I just wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer–at least that’s what I came to believe–and I lived up to the expectation for a long time.
I haven’t done much with my life according to the standards of western culture; I haven’t achieved much. I don’t have a husband, children, property, money, or advancing career. I haven’t kept up with the Joneses. And yet, I have found a richness in life that many don’t find in a lifetime, and an openness, too. Perhaps I’ve found this richness because I have moved through life slowly, taking all the time I need to come to terms with Life. In approaching life in turtle time, I see so much more than I would if I were racing through it like the hare.
Turtle is strong, committed, and grounded. Turtle is determined and has great courage. Turtle finishes the race. Turtle has taught me about presence and meditation, enabling me to see opportunity and possibility. Turtle is a worthy and welcome ally.
