Adding Fuel to the Fire

Yesterday, I had this realization that simply thinking about something doesn’t necessarily make it happen. You have to be willing to commit time, energy and effort as well. It is a little bit like starting a fire using a magnifying glass and sunlight. The magnifying glass is your focused thought, the sunlight is the energy that flows to where your attention goes. And the tinder, those tiny bits of dry leaves and fluff, is the the beginnings of the effort you are willing to put into the project.

So, today I am thinking about tinder, and fuel for the flame and all the things that help a fire get started, and all those other things that will put it out faster than you can say “boo!”

Here are some examples:

• A wet blanket… do you have one of those in your life? Are you the wet blanket that gets dropped on your fiery little ideas just starting to “catch?”
• Rain… you know that old saying, “Did someone rain on your parade?” Are there people, ideas, or influences that bring you down and ruin your plans?
• Too much too soon… when making a baby fire, too much kindling too soon will quickly smother the tiny flame. Do you get ahead of yourself? Bury yourself with ideas, plans, or tasks before you even get a good start?
• More than you can chew… a nice big piece of firewood is great, once the fire is established, but when it’s a tiny baby of a flame, a big piece of firewood is almost as effective as a wet blanket when it comes to putting a fire out. Suddenly the task is overwhelming, and you just give up… ever had that happen?
• A gust of wind… poof, the tinder scatters in the wind, and you have to start over. Usually when that happens, it means that you didn’t protect your little fire well enough. A baby fire needs shelter from the wind, just as beginning projects and budding ideas need shelter from the winds of change and chance.
• Timing is everything… you can’t start a fire with a magnifying glass if you are sitting in the shade, or it’s after dark. Some ideas, some projects and plans, while they are great and good, just aren’t quite ready to flame into reality. You might have to wait until daylight, or plan for a change in location.

One last thought:

Patience… it takes time and patience to light a fire with a magnifying glass. It doesn’t just happen immediately. The energy has to build. First there is a tiny wisp of smoke, sometimes it doesn’t quite take hold and you have to try again, and then gently you feed it, and nourish it, and help it grow.