Pathlight: Let’s Soar!
Originally from the U.S., Annie earned her Canadian Citizenship in 2013. Annie & her Husband live in Pic River First Nation. She works as full-time as an Adult Mental Health and Addictions Therapist at the Marathon office of North of Superior Counseling Programs. Annie Wenger-Nabigon, MSW, RSW has been a cinical social worker since 1979 working in mental health, family therapy, and addictions services. She is a doctoral candidate at Laurentian University in Sudbury, ON. Annie also works part-time as a consultant for LYNX, owned by her husband Herb Nabigon, MSW. Herb provides traditional Anishnabek teachings and healing workshops for both Native and non-Native organizations. Together he and Annie provide training and education to professionals on a wide range of topics blending mainstream and traditional approaches in healing. They also provide cultural safety and anti-racism training. Do you have questions re: mental health, living a good life, relationships, etc. ?Annie would love to hear them and may even include your questions in a future column (published by-monthly exclusively on OntarioNewsNorth.com) Send your comments or questions to Annie via email to Pathlight@OntarioNewsNorth.com
Author of Pathlight; Annie Wenger-Nabigon, MSW, RSW
William Blake (1757 – 1827), the great English poet, painter, and printmaker, once wrote, “No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.” That little phrase came to me in a frame from a dear friend over 20 years ago, and I’ve looked at it every day since. It inspires me to try to fly a little higher ever day with the wings I have. Some days, though, these old wings get a little tired, or water logged, or lose a feather. I really have to depend on a kind wind on those days.
One of the core values I hold close to my heart is the belief that everyone deserves a chance to soar. To me, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, how old or young you might be, how you dress or speak, you are worthy of my respect and you deserve to have whatever you need to really soar.
I have discovered in life that the only thing stopping me from soaring is something really small and easily dealt with – it is my own decision to stop trying. It IS possible to soar even in the rain, although I’ve observed that birds flying in the rain are generally going toward safe shelter. There’s something wrong when a bird will not make an attempt to get out of the storm, and it usually has something to do with matters that are quite beyond the bird’s control.
When people are having a hard time soaring, maybe they need to consider what they need to do to get in out of the storm before they blame the wind. Remember, the first person who needs to give you a chance is you! It is your job to shake the rain from your feathers and keep flying. If you are tired, or hurt, give yourself time to rest and rejuvenate, and then try again. If people are trying to stop you from being your finest and best – if they are keeping you from soaring – that is information that you need to fly a little higher. No one can stop you if you are determined. They might delay you, or force you to take a detour, but they can’t stop you. The Creator made you to fly, so fly! And if it is time to stop flying for a while then the Creator will provide safe shelter somewhere until you are ready to soar again. All you need to do is ask for help.
I believe that one of the things in life that keeps us from getting what we want, or from flying where we want to fly, is our own failure to look honestly at ourselves and at what we are doing that keeps us from being honest with ourselves. It is always easier to blame the other people, or the circumstances of our reality, for our inabilities to achieve what we want to achieve. It may even be true that factors out of our control are to blame for our failures. The ultimate truth, however, is this – we are responsible for ourselves and to others, and blaming external events can never be a stopping point. We must move on and care for our own wings first, and focus on our flight. Otherwise, we miss the opportunity to soar. Laying blame where it is due is necessary to understand the explanation for what our reality is, but it can never be the excuse that keeps us on the ground.
I hear a lot of talk about responsibility these days – from politicians and all kinds of people – but too often it is a term that is used to batter people who already have battered abilities and self-esteem. I think we might all be a bit better off if we only spoke of our own responsibilities, and simply encouraged each other to find wings and to soar!
Let’s resolve to soar to the best of our abilities. The sky is a big sky – there’s room for every kind of bird and flight pattern. Don’t allow you own fears, or tiredness, or lack of support, keep you from trying. Just go out there and soar! Do what you want to do!
Remember, stay out of the other birds flight paths. They’re just trying their best, too. Let’s soar!
Annie Wenger-Nabigon, MSW, RSW
Pathlight@OntarioNewsNorth.com
ANNIE RECOMMENDS:
- The Hollow Tree by Herb Nabigon
- EldersTeachings.blogspot.com
- Pathlight: Journey to a Good Life archives
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*Health themed columns found on OntarioNewsNorth.com provide general information about medical conditions and treatments. The information is not advice, and should not be treated as such. If you have any specific questions about any mental health or other medical matter, please consult your family physician, primary health care team or other professional healthcare provider.
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