There is a house lot that went for sale last spring near where our cottage is, and each time I pass it now the same thought comes to mind:
God those people who bought it had the ability to see potential
That lot was priced very reasonably when we went to look at it-which is very unusual for this area. The people who ended up buying it tore down the house that was on it and have built a gorgeous dream cottage.
When Hubby and I went to see it we did not possess the ability to see past the fact that it shared a passage way with its neighbor, it did not have a wide space to build on, it was essentially set behind another house etc….
As we look at it now, it is as though those obstacles that we saw as barriers no longer exist. The road is paved in a way that each neighbor has their own access which also now has the house not appear to be behind another one. They have taken every challenge that house had and made something beautiful of it. From an amazing side patio with a fireplace to utilizing the building close to the water rights that the house possess to maximize the water views with a gorgeous solarium.
I feel shamed each time I walk by that we could not see this when we first looked at it. That we created barriers that were not there; that we could not see further than what met our eye.
And this is strange for both of us since we have always thought we have possessed this ability especially as it relates to renovations. Our house is unrecognizable and had been on the market for years-we have turned it into the kind of home that on a regular basis invites notes in the mailbox of people wanting to buy it. We took what no one else wanted or could deal with and transformed it. Have we lost that ability now?
Even at our present cottage now-we know what we need to transform a space-we thought this was inherent to our natures and abilities. We thought we could see beyond what is. I guess not all the time.
So as I looked at that house today and I admired the owner’s ability to see further-I thought of how life is full of these opportunities to build if we look hard enough.I find it comforting to know that very often if we are able to look beyond what currently is we can build our dreams.
We can take our family and mold it into what each member needs, we can become someone to our partner who we may not have thought we were capable of being; we can become more capable at work in areas that we have no knowledge of. We can become a better friend and ask for more of what we need.
We can take a good lot or foundation and make it amazing. If only we can see that potential and act on it; if we can sell that vision to the others around us.
If we can articulate and share that vision with the people we love. If we can make them believe us that we can build a beautiful home.
If they want to live there with us. And if they don’t to have the strength to figure out why not?
So as my Protector and I passed by that beautiful construction today, I thought of all these things, and realized that for me life is really like a lot waiting to be built on. Sometimes we are in the mood for renovations and constructions and sometimes we are not. Nevertheless, we should always tap into our ability to see further and brighter and more.
We should always hold ourselves and the others around us capable of the ability to envision, plan, build and live in…together.
We should always know that we have the ability to transform as long as solid foundations are there.
We should know that transformation begins with ourselves by the very nature of our capacity to believe in change..and not only be willing..but to welcome this into our lives in the hope that what we build-will be even better than what we ever could have imagined.
