The dispirited one

I'm not dispirited but someone I know is, a work colleague, who asked me to help her with a few struggles she's been facing; I said yes and have mentored her for the last six months. There's been tears, anxiety, negative and positive moments but there wasn't a huge forward progression and I was beginning to wonder if I was the wrong mentor.

I've contemplated letting her know that I feel incapable of guiding her and was intending to do so in the coming week; I don't want to be responsible for holding a person back and would rather withdraw so she can find someone more commensurate to her needs.

Today that decision was taken out of my hands and it worked out perfectly.

The dispirited one called me and whilst I wasn't in the mood for what I expected to be a lengthy call I answered.

I figured it may be a good chance for me to lay the foundations of withdrawing my assistance. The thing is, that as soon as she began talking I noted a difference in her; there was an upbeat tone to her conversation and I said as much. As it turns out my deductions were correct; she was feeling on top of the world and had called to tell me so and to let me know she'd had somewhat of an epiphany over the last few days, had made a decision and was moving forward in that direction.

She explained her plan, already in motion, and I sat here a little dumbstruck that in so short a time she had not only taken decisions, set goals and planned around them but had actioned them and initiated her way forward - taken a step. I felt proud of her.

Part of the way forward involves resigning from the company we both work for and whilst that will create a little stress for the company that's not enough reason for her not to do so; she's important to her and her two young kids and the company shouldn't factor into her decision-making process. We spoke for thirty minutes and when I hung up had a little smile of satisfaction on my face. I was happy she was happy and that my six months of effort had helped her find her way forward. She did all the hard work of course though.

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It's interesting that the phone conversation seemed to align quite nicely with a few comments @nineclaws and I exchanged on hive today in relation to a photo nine had shared on one of my posts.

I always like "in-between" times, the moment things shift.

Nineclaws had said the above and I'd responded with, in-between times are neither the past or future but connect both...Sometimes those times can be painful, other times joyous...But always they're an opportunity to employ lessons from the past to allow one to create the present and future they desire.

We spoke of doorway-moments, those times when things actually change as if one has moved from one place to another, but whilst doorways are static change is fluid, always moving, like time itself. One must move, to attain a different place, physically or emotionally.

I believe many people fear change, certainly the woman I mention above, my colleague, does; or did, I should say. But change is inevitable, even if one resists it. Time moves so things change. When time moves and we don't keep up we're often left behind.

Nineclaws says:

Everyone falls behind at some point. One advantage of that is being in a position to re-evaluate direction, choices, etc. I'd also add that each of us is exactly where we need to be in any given moment, even if we do not perceive that to be the case.

So true Nine, as evidenced through the experiences my colleague has had over the last six months and more; left behind, re-evaluated, made choices and decisions then deployed seeking to step through the doorway to somewhere else. She was having trouble determining where she was emotionally but was indeed exactly where she where she needed to be to ultimately be in the position to find a path forward. Sure I said some words and added perspective designed to make her think more laterally and in new directions but it was she who took the steps towards a new future.

The dispirited one is dispirited no more, just motivated to push forward into new realities, to chase new horizons and to find herself exactly where she needs wants to be.

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I wonder if any of y'all have had similar experiences in your own lives or with people around you who have found themselves in a difficult spot or in a situation in which they had become dispirited. What did you do, what did they do and how did it work out?

Thanks for taking a scan of my post, and thank you to @nineclaws some of whose words I've borrowed and quoted in this post. You're set as a beneficiary of a percentage of the post rewards Nine. 😊