The Web of Purpose

I sat on my deck sipping coffee as the sunrise ushered in a brand new day.  A gentle breeze kissed my cheeks as mourning doves sang a love song. Suddenly, my eyes were drawn to the beginnings of a spider web. It glistened in the sunshine and dew dropped to the ground as the web swayed in the breeze.

Already the eight-legged insect was hard at work. I sat with eyes fixed as he walked an exact number of steps in one direction, then turned and walked the exact same number of steps in another. All the while he secreted a sticky substance in his wake.

Many times I thought the little creature would fall or get blown to the ground, but he seemed unaffected by anything around him. He consistently walked, secreted, turned and repeated.  Slow, steady progress. Each time he reached a corner, he connected his new line to the web and moved on to the next line.  Before I finished my coffee, his web was built.

I learned a lot from the little spider that can help you pursue your goals and dreams:

1) What you need to construct a marvelous design is inside you. Don’t try to stop it or force it. Just move forward and let it flow out naturally.

2) Trust your instincts. You will know when and in what direction to turn. The spider didn’t wait for someone to tell him or to point the way. When he got to a corner, he knew what to do. Making the right decision came naturally to him. It will for you too.

3) No matter how slow your progress, if it is steady, you will eventually create something magnificent. That little arachnid paced himself. He didn’t burn out. By slowly constructing his web, he finished his incredible masterpiece.

4) When the winds of adversity blow, keep going. That spider never stopped to ponder if he was supposed to be a spider. He consistently worked toward his goal, in spite of the wind.

5) You won’t build what you want to if you cut corners. The spider’s masterpiece was geometrically perfect. That would not have happened if he’d crisscrossed to avoid some of his steps. It’s the same with your dream. Don’t cut corners.

Living your dream of being a writer takes hard work, consistency and forward motion.  Build your dream — and who knows what wonderful things you’ll catch in your own little web?!

AUTHOR BIO: Reba J. Hoffman is the MBT Member Care Coach. She has a PhD in clinical counseling and is the founder and president of New Hope Institute of Counseling. Reba uses her gift of encouragement to help writers overcome negative emotions so they can live their dream of being a writer. Her works appear in publications such as Running for the Woman’s Soul by Road Runner Sports and The Good Fight by Donna Hicken. She is the author of My Book Therapy’s Dare to Dream, a Writer’s Journal. Contact her at reba@mybooktherapy.com.