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My husband told me a story that reminded me to keep focused on my goals even when faced with seemingly impossible obstacles:

A carpenter friend of my husband's was out walking one day with his wife. A strong wind came up and blew the wife's contact out of her eye. They began to search for it, but couldn't find it anywhere. The carpenter was a clever man, and he came up with the idea of letting go of a piece of paper and seeing where the wind took it. It blew up against a chain link fence. The man looked through the fence and there was the contact on a leaf with a big ant carrying it off. He ran around the fence and retrieved the contact before the ant could make it into a sky light for his home.

... there was the contact on a leaf with a big ant carrying it off.

When I heard this story it intrigued me. I would have become discouraged and given up looking for the contact. After all a contact is a very small, clear piece of plastic. How could a person hope to find one that was blown away by the wind? But not only did this carpenter not give up, but he used his creativity to find the contact.

How often in life do we let obstacles stand in the way of achieving or goals and let an ant walk off with our dreams?

Of course, it often takes courage to follow our dreams. At one workshop I led on "Following Your Dreams", a woman shared the story of following her dream.

This woman was a fine artist, but she was working at a job she didn't enjoy to make a living. She lost her job and decided to pursue her dream of being making a living as a painter. She took out a loan and started painting. Now she is a successful painter and has been able to pay back her loans.

"Isn't it funny how our backs have to be against the wall before we are willing to take a risk and do what we love?"

She ended her story by saying, "Isn't it funny how our backs have to be against the wall before we are willing to take a risk and do what we love?" I've had to rise above my own insecurities and discomforts to do things like be on "I Witness News," or to give workshops about my book, or do radio interviews.

Before contacting the "Light on With Nancy Lee" radio show (a show broadcast out of Fort Collins, Colorado) I was told that you had to ask months ahead of time and be there in person. I was going there in only few weeks on a book tour, but had an inner nudge to send the show off an email any way. The next morning I was checking my email and saw there was one from Nancy Lee.

I had just clicked on it when the phone rang; Nancy Lee was on the line. They had a cancellation for the following Saturday and had just gotten my email. I happily agreed to do a phone interview. Nancy told me that if I answered the phone, she'd know that it was synchronicity and that I was meant to do the interview. This is an example of the miracles that happen in your life when you're following your dreams.

In a four-part interview, Heidi reveals the spiritual signs and research that led her to write Red Willow's Quest as a ...  Interview with Heidi

It takes courage to step out on the edge and to be willing to take a risk for our dreams. What risks are you willing to take to follow yours?

Last summer my daughter's boyfriend Max brought over his two cats. They are house cats and had never been outside before. Max set their cat carrier on the lawn and opened the door. The two cats looked out but wouldn't venture out of the carrier. My two cats were curious about these two visitors and went over to the cage and peered in. Even seeing two other cats enjoy the sun and freedom to run around, the two cats wouldn't come out. Finally Max took them out, but they only ran back to the safety of their cage.

Spiritual freedom means taking full responsibility for all our actions.

So it is with us when we are given more freedom. Spiritual freedom means taking full responsibility for all our actions. For the cats the freedom to run around and climb trees came with the danger of facing the unknown. The possible danger of getting lost or getting chased by a dog. Even though Max was trying to coax them out and was trying to reassure them that he would protect them.

We too have teachers that tell us to take the next step. They show us the freedom and joy of a more fulfilling life if we will step outside of the box; if we will move beyond our own narrow state of consciousness and limited point of view.

During this next year if an opportunity comes into your life that may involve stretching yourself and stepping outside of your comfort zone, think of the two cats huddling inside their small carrying case on a beautiful summer day. Think of what it would be like to never feel warm sun on your face or the furious wind tearing at your clothes and then you will find within yourself the strength to take that next challenge.

Love in Spirit, Heidi