We most likely all know that at one time it was believed that the world was flat. People thought they might fall off the edge of the earth should they reach the horizon. Then came the time when the first person ventured out and showed us that what we thought was fact was merely an illusion.

I am thinking about that now as we contemplate our own lives. What is beyond the horizon? We cannot necessarily answer that question, and that can sometimes keep us stuck. We might be afraid to look beyond our present circumstances toward a future that is unclear. We may feel stuck right where we are, tied down by our beliefs in limitation, or by a lack of trust and faith in our own abilities. We might not be able to see beyond the chaos in the world right now, thinking we must wait for something to become reliable before we move on.

Here is what I have come to learn about going beyond the horizon. There is a quote that says:
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” — André Gide

Why is this so? If we do not have the courage to let go of our old beliefs and limitations, they will color our future. It is law that as we believe, so it is. Just like that first person had the courage to lose sight of the shore—the old belief that the earth was flat—we might consider that we need that same courage.

I believe there is always another horizon, and another, and another, if we are willing to stretch in imagination, intention, and courage. The question for today is: What am I willing to let go of in order to discover my new ocean?

More to come tomorrow.

Love and Aloha,
Rev. Dr. Rita Andriello-Feren