Slow and steady wins the race
Part 3 in the Elemental Series – Earth
INTRO
Welcome to part 3 in the Elemental Series. A series of brand storytelling posts intended to inspire, enrich and captivate. To activate the free expression of creativity in its purest form.
THE STORY
As the rays of the rising sun creep up a mountainside on the Iberian peninsula, a lone ibex buck makes its way up the steep rock face. It is its task as the leading male to reconnoitre this new terrain, before leading the rest of the herd up the mountain. The going is slow but from experience, it knows it will reach its goal just by placing one hoof before the other and paying attention to where it is going.
Many years ago, when I turned twelve, one of the presents I got from my parents was a gold plated pendant of my zodiac sign Capricorn and a matching chain. In those days, these were very popular, so even though I was not into astrology, I was very pleased with this present and wore it all day every day for a number of years. Now I have a slightly different perspective. I still do not believe that our zodiac sign defines us and our personality or our future. This also goes for other systems, such as Human Design, Mayan astrology, Gene Keys and the like. Instead, I believe it is more of a general blueprint of our potential in numerous variations and of the energy and qualities that are prominent.
“Despite being very intuitive, I was in my head most of the time and relied solely on my willpower to get anything done…”
To me the most prominent quality of Capricorn is perseverance. This could be because I was always told as a child that I was persevering, but that is only partly true. From experience, I know that I do not easily give up once I have set out to do or achieve something, or when I am going through a rough patch. While writing this, the image of a mountain goat, an ibex to be precise, appears before my mind’s eye. Placing one hoof before the other, it steadily makes its way up a rock face. Judging by the slippery surface and the narrow footholds, it appears to be an impossible task, but the ibex even makes it look easy. It seems to be firmly grounded. This is why it makes sense to me that Capricorn is symbolized by a mountain goat and that it is one of the three earth element signs.
I myself am not too keen on mountains, at least not high ones. They give me the feeling of being shut in and isolated from the rest of the world. The same goes for an expanse of water, by the way. That is coming from someone who was born in the fjord landscape of Northern Norway and who lived in the Chilean Andes from age 1 to 4. Anyway, no high mountains for me and no endless expanses of water either. I am more at home in rolling and slightly wooded hills with very low mountains in the background. That is one of the things I loved about the last place I lived in in Australia when I got that birthday present I was telling you about. It gets me wondering if my dislike of mountains has anything to do with not being properly grounded for the best part of my life. Despite being very intuitive, I was in my head most of the time and relied solely on my willpower to get anything done. That and self-discipline.
“Grounding makes me act on inner impulses and focus on my purpose…”
Driven by sheer willpower and following its instincts, the ibex buck continues to climb with only one goal in mind. This is to find a fresh supply of minerals essential to the herd’s diet, that they take in by licking at the rocks that contain these minerals. Not even the echo of dislodged stones bouncing down the rockface deter the ibex from moving forward.
Nowadays, I am more in touch with my heart – my deeper knowing, spirit or soul. I realize willpower and self-discipline are a good thing, as long as they serve me and my purpose instead of the other way round. So, if I decide to will myself up the mountainside, as it were, it will be to reach a goal that came to mind from the heart. This is because I make a conscious effort to be firmly grounded and through this, I am more in touch with myself and with Nature. Grounding makes me act on inner impulses and focus on my purpose. Through it, I hold space for my energy and ideas to take form and to be manifested into my physical reality.
I compare it to Nature. A seed is sown by human hands, the wind or by other means. Now the journey begins. Along the way, the seed is nurtured by the sun and nourished by rain and nutrients in the soil. It also has to contend with the forces of Nature and interference by animals and humans. Still, it keeps going. Its roots grow stronger and deeper, and its stem grows taller until one day, its pod bursts open and unfurls its leaves. The seed has become a plant and with determination and a bit of luck, the plant will blossom and bear fruit to reproduce itself.
Analogous to the seed, I ground myself first before setting out on my journey. Underway, I hold the vision of my destination and go the distance while moving to a rhythm that comes naturally to me. It reminds me of a compliment I received at the swimming pool a while back. I had just finished my weekly swimming session, when a lady told me that she liked the way I swam calmly and at a constant pace. I thanked her and let it sink in. Not only was it a lovely compliment, it was a confirmation of my approach to swimming. This is to enjoy swimming effortlessly to eventually swim longer distances in open water.
“By mastering myself, I consciously apply the power within to create anything I can imagine…”
It is long-term thinking which, come to think of it, I apply to almost every area of my life. Whether I am trail running, doing calisthenics, going for long walks in Nature, working or making my way towards work or life objectives, my strategy is always to put one foot in front of the other and feel my way. With one step at a time and the occasional leap, I will get there sooner or later. It corresponds with my intention for this year (2024): “By mastering myself, I consciously apply the power within to create anything I can imagine and manifest this into my physical reality.”
This brings me to the question of what self-mastery is. To me, self-mastery means feeling and becoming one with my inner power. It involves focusing on my goal and not letting myself be distracted by anyone or anything. Every time I succeed in doing this, I am able to apply this power to whatever I put my mind to. It is a process of spirit over mind and mind over matter. And the more I master myself, the further I will be on my way to fulfilling my life purpose of connecting with who I truly am and fully expressing and manifesting this.
Often, my destination looks slightly, if not completely different from what I envisioned at the start. Luckily, I now understand that it is not about manifesting the form but the essence. The essence takes on the form that matches the circumstances. As an 8-year-old, I dreamed of becoming an explorer of places where nobody had ever been before. I loved reading stories about explorers but never imagined that one day, I would end up writing stories myself.
“I always push myself a little further and make each day count…”
After a long and hard climb, the ibex buck finally reaches the top. Although it looks slightly different from what it had imagined, it is essentially the same. Without hesitating, it begins to lick the nearest rock. Its first taste of salt pleases it, as it knows it has reached its goal. It has succeeded in providing the sustenance that its herd needs to stay alive.
So, I have become a storyteller instead and in a way, an explorer as well. The journey of my life is one of self-discovery and self-expression. I express myself in the form of stories to inspire others to live their life to the full and fulfil their purpose. This brings me back to my birthday present all those years ago. I know, I am not into mountains, but I can still relate to my zodiac sign. I ground myself firmly, act on the whisperings of my soul and achieve my goals through consistent repetition and progressive overload. Hence my ethos to always push myself a little further and make each day count. And with an ever expanding history of proven success, I can safely say that slow and steady wins the race.
ABOUT PART 3
Earth is such a basic element that it is easily taken for granted. Especially in our society where rushing from one activity to another seems to be the norm and we rarely take time to stand still and feel the ground beneath us. All the more reason to write this blog post about earth. Like water, it is one of the feminine elements which relate to tactility, feeling and solidity. If someone were to say the word earth and ask me what comes to mind, I would answer: soil. I associate soil with fertility and with solid foundations, as we need a solid foundation to grow or build upon. Another association is our body. Over the years, our focus has shifted from the body to the mind. Most of the time we are stuck in our heads, which is why we have become disconnected from our body and thereby from ourselves. By regularly taking time to ground ourselves properly, for example by being in Nature, we can reconnect and rediscover our foundations upon which we can rebuild ourselves back to who we truly are.
ABOUT THE ELEMENTAL SERIES
Would you like to know what inspired me to begin writing the Elemental Series? Read Part 1.
Captivate your audience
Thank you for reading this post. I would love to know your thoughts and feelings on what I have written. So, please comment below or in an email to email@wimbeunderman.com and be sure to subscribe to my blog if you want to be notified of new posts. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram or YouTube. And feel free to contact me if you want me to captivate your audience through powerful brand storytelling.
Wim Beunderman
Straight to the Heart
Symbolism
Ibex: The ibex symbolizes strength, agility, stability, clarity and the courage to overcome fear.
Fern: The fern symbolizes tenacity, growth, magic, and new life and beginnings.
Earth: Earth symbolizes solid foundations, fertility and grounding.
Images
‘Ibex’ by Henrik Bernhard on Pixabay
‘Kangaroo’ by PenAsh on Pixabay
‘Mountains’ by Fietzfotos on Pixabay
‘Seedling’ by LukasJohnns on Pixabay
‘Fig’ by Ulleo on Pixabay
‘Olive Trees’ by Chrissi Nerantzi on Pixabay
‘Fern tree gully rainforest Mt Dandenong sunny day’ – Shutterstock ‘Forest’ by Magdalena M on Pixabay
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