You Are Here

By Tiffany A. Dedeaux

Not everywhere we go includes a map with a ‘you are here’ marker.  One way I know that I’m on the right path is by the personally relevant signs that I encounter along the way.  For example, since returning from Australia, anytime I see a swan—especially a black swan—I know that I am where I ought to be.  While going to meet my then boyfriend for a date, I saw a sign for Swan’s Moving and Storage.  Seriously.  For me that was a sign that I was meant to be on that date (and, as it turned out, I married the guy).   I have even had a difficult time during an assignment only to receive a postcard from Perth with a black swan and a note from a friend who was thinking of me.  To me these are messages that both say “you are in the right place” and “keep going in this direction.”

You can also have more than one personal sign that guide you through life.  When I quested for a vision for my life, a butterfly appeared to at the exact moment I picked up a log and heard music in the air.  It was as if the butterfly was a delicate piece of punctuation that let me know this was a moment to be mindful…Since that time, the butterfly has also been my personal guide.  When I apprenticed and all the questers were out fasting in their solo sites, a butterfly danced on my tent and I knew I was where I needed to be.

Without me saying such things to my clients, they share the signs that guide them.  Recognizing your personal sign becomes most important when you take a turn and you’re not sure if you’re still headed in the right direction.  Most recently for me, I was not a fan of going to Belize because I didn’t think it was the right time to go, especially when I’ve put so much work into researching and preparing to go to Machu Picchu.  When my husband and I arrived in Dangriga one of the first things I noticed was that a few buildings had railings along their upper floors, and in the middle of those railings were swans!  That is in part why I settled into the adventure of Belize.  My sense that I was in the right place at the right place was confirmed when we moved to the jungle of Bocawina and were greeted by butterflies.  As it turned out, the place where we had been became flooded after we moved into the jungle.  We were exactly where we needed to be.  I knew it.  I took comfort at that in the moment, and especially now as I look back.

What are the signs that guide you in life?