Hey, Hi, Hello!
Have you ever felt like your love of Instagram sent you a sign?
I think my obsession with the sky and clouds and sharing photos I can tag #lookup sent me a sign a few days ago.
I was leaving a big, busy shopping centre on Saturday afternoon, and it was a relief to get out of the stuffy, squishy, zombie shopper crush and into the fresh air.
As I walked to my car, I enjoyed the feeling of the sun on my face, and the sky was all flirty and hey look at me, not that it needs to be, I’m always looking!
Don’t be insecure sky, I see you.
I snapped a few shots, without paying much attention, and when I looked at them later on, here’s what I saw.
A sign in the sky. Literally. Quite nicely composed too.
I’ve decided to pay attention to this sign.
To give way, to yield.
I’m not sure exactly what the sign means, but I feel like it’s good life advice, even in a non-specific way.
Give way.
Yield.
Pause. Look around.
Be open.
When you come to a give way sign, you might turn right, or left, or go straight ahead, but you need to yield first.
Look around.
Pay attention.
Okay, I can do that.
Exhale.
It’s hard sometimes to acknowledge things that are going on internally. I’ve had to make lots of changes to my life this year, and some of that has triggered a few subterranean tremors. I feel some shifting, a few issues perhaps wanting to come up for air, to be recognised, and perhaps reconciled. That’s not a comfortable place to find myself.
So, in that spirit, I see you sign. I hear you. I welcome you.
Giving way.
Yielding.
I’ll try.
How do you tune in when your camera, your kids, a snippet of conversation, or even a book recommendation, feels like a sign?
I’d love to hear your tune-in tips.
I’m yielding, and I plan on enjoying the view while I do.
Look up, friends, look up; you never know what you might see.
Don’t forget to hit me up with your tune-in tips please.
đź’™
Annette x
I Give You The Verbs 
I think it is easier to tune in when you do it regularly. Like an instrument. It takes longer to find the notes when you let regular tuning slide.
I feel utterly changed from my own experiences with illness. I was thinking about it the other day, how my values are different to other people. How I literally don’t give a shit about some of the things that other people freak out about. I can’t. I got a massive tune up back then and my musical range is different. For example, my car is not clean. It’s full of the detritus of being a horse mama, bits of hay, clumps of mud. Empty coffee cups and discarded bakery bags. Dirt smears and the smells of horse feed and leather.
And occasionally, I have to give people who are not family a lift in that car. People whose musical range (values spectrum) is different to mine. Sometimes they are disgusted. Sometimes I am tempted to feel the shame I would have felt pre-tune-in. Pre inner seismic shift. Then I remember. What matters to me most is meaningful connection. When I die I won’t wish I had kept my car pristine. I’ll be glad I spent all that time with my daughter in that car, talking about life and horses.
Every now and then I feel the pressure to conform to the music of everyone else. To dance to their melodies. It can be hard sticking to my own, even knowing as I do, that most of the music made by society is just NOISE. Like you, I look up. I try to make time to look IN, as well. Check in with myself, am I overdoing things? Do I need to slow down?
I reckon you’ve got a good sign there Nettie. Giving way isn’t giving in, it’s just a pause in the proceeding. Big love from me to you. I miss you!
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First of all, your way with words makes my jaw drop, every time. There’s definitely a profound freedom in not giving a shit about “the rules” isn’t there?
Secondly, turn that into a blog post or a chapter for a book immediately. Immediately!
Third, you’re so damn lovely Rach. Load up the horse and the kids and your man and the puppy and move to Melbourne. Don’t let yourself miss me, I’m here – send me an email, message me, shoot a video letter. I’m here.
Love you xxxxx
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I love serendipity like this. The fact that you didn’t see the Give Way sign until after, when you were looking at the photos; when you had enough time to take it in. Yielding, to me, is the best way to tune in. I’ve experienced it myself this year. When we went on holiday I decided that I’d had enough of the fight, of resisting these things that were unfolding and I made a decision to just go with it. And while it was so far from what I’d planned for this year, I felt a weight lift, the negative talk disappeared and I’m enjoying this unplanned change in circumstance. I’m also enjoying the curiosity that not knowing what comes next, brings.
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Serendipity is such a great word. Openness can be a challenge, but I don’t think we get through life with the joy that’s available to each of us without it. Here’s to curiosity!
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We’re a funny being aren’t we? It often takes a shock of some description to encourage us to take it all in, and bide our time!
I love your #lookup posts, as I too have always loved the sky and cloud formations. Now I’ll be looking for some other signs as ell! Thank You, Nettie! xx
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Gotta keep looking up Maz!!
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Oh this speaks to my heart Annette as does Rach’s comment. WOW.
How eloquently you write, such a beautiful gift.
Oh those subterranean tremors – I experienced one myself just this morning.
You’re already tuned in, give yourself the space you need, be kind to yourself, acknowledge how far you’ve come and trust that once you ask the questions…the answers will come.
It’s so hard stepping into the unknown and trusting without expectations. It’s not how we’re taught to be and sometimes it feels a bit alien to be the chaos of ‘how to do…’ world.
Cheryl Strayed. ‘In the face of beauty’ – looking up and looking down – everyday mindfulness.
You have a lot to share with the world, I’m so glad you do,
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Hi Fran, I’m so grateful for your words. Thank you. Really. I don’t mind saying I was wondering what you’d think of this. Your last post came into my email just after I published this, and it seems to me they sit really well together.
Rachel is a magnificent human and a bloody great writer. Her site is http://www.rachelfaithcox.com – check it out!
It’s kind of amazing how closely people’s paths are, even though they’re all totally personal.
We’re all making our way home to ourselves aren’t we?
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Great words, Annette. I have learned to yield some, especially since my brother’s passing and the emotional storm that went with that. I yielded then, but seem to have hardened up a bit since. Thanks for the reminder to look for signs.
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I think we always grow our shells back, that’s why we need the occasional sign in the sky.
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Inspiring words Annette. I think as humans we all need those reminders through these signs to actually stop and to appreciate. It’s so easy to keep on going but when the signs present themselves, yielding is the key. Lorelle 🙂
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If only it was a simple process, but that pretty sky sure helps me take a moment Lorelle.
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Beautiful post! I’m definitely one to take heed of signs around us, and I love yours! I think I will take it on board too. Thanks for sharing
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It pays to look up, and to take photos without looking at all sometimes!! Thanks for reading Bel.
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