Ticket 2 Ride

I have always liked the term, natural progressions.  It has no universal meaning, but we understand that progression is something that advances in a logical direction, building on its own foundation.  Progression means progress, forward or continuing, exploring new ground or expanding. A natural progression would be something flowing on its own accord, guided, but not being manipulated or predetermined. Not to be confused with a natural tendency, which is an action or response that is repetitious and expected.

I believe we all have a series of natural progressions.  Each takes shape during our lifetime that may come from our internal wiring, genetic makeup or even learned behavior or knowledge.  Our experiences, values and learning energize these progressions, setting them on course.

A friend of mine had a natural ability to draw.  This ability took him into architecture and then designing automobiles.  Even if he had not gone to college and then continued his postgraduate education, he would have done something with art.  He was just too talented not to allow it to grow inside him and find an outward expression. Education only fed this natural progression.

A natural progression does not have to be a talent.  It can be a way of thinking or a philosophy.  There are many other kinds of natural progressions, not all of them positive.  I look at a natural progression as like a river that starts out as a slow, winding creek, that widens and straightens into a fast moving stream and eventually a mighty body of water.  That’s a simplistic example, but it shows the evolution.  Many factors determine whether a creek turns into a river, same with a person’s natural progression.  A river scours a deep impression with time and repetition, so can a natural progression.  We must recognize the potential for the negative or destructive, simply because it is part of the human psychology.  People develop traits and long-term issues they can spend a lifetime overcoming.

Let us stay with the water analogy.  Natural progressions flow through our bodies like underground rivers, some just below the surface, others through our central core. Sometimes a natural progression is too large to contain, like a whale leaping from the ocean into the air. Big, loud, impressive. Other times they hug the surface, but stay underground, still you know they are there, like blood running through your veins.

Natural progressions kick in when called upon. They can be your strengths or your weaknesses.  Sometimes they are significant in the moment, other times they quietly guide you, like an invisible touch.  A light hand on your shoulder, not overly firm, but it feels natural, attached to your body.  The hand is an extension of your being, one half step ahead.

What is the spiritual connection to natural progressions? People are guided by their faith and belief systems. Is faith a natural progression? It certainly be.  Your faith or spirituality can take you deeper on your spiritual journey to unlock beliefs or increase your understanding.  The progression is the process or journey, not so much about the outcome.

Does a natural progression turn into the basis of a career or the purpose of your life? If you have an affinity to help others you might become a teacher, counselor, healthcare professional.  If you are drawn to building things, you might become an engineer, designer or construction manager.  Your progression might start as simply as building things with your hands or helping others on backyard projects. In your youth, you learn how to use tools and carpentry techniques, begin to understand and read plans, and develop a vision for new projects in your head.  You evolve from the tactical to the strategic and then the visionary.

Are we always aware of our natural progressions?  We might call them talents, skills, personality traits or habits.  It is not just who we are, it is who we have become.  Our journeys say a lot about us because we do not always start from the same place or incur the same challenges.