A few weeks ago I went across the street with Pepper, my mother’s small dog, to walk around:

The Neighborhood Pond

This pond is always a challenge for me as I have seen snakes slither by on my walk. I can be walking and sense that a snake is near – look down – and bam a snake. Well I decided on this day to give it another go and choose:

Faith over Fear

I started off strong, but as I continued my walk – the thoughts in my head became stronger and stronger:

• “Oh today is a warm day I bet the snakes are out here sunbathing…”

• “Ooh that aint a stick over there…I bet you that is a snake…”

• “You hear that? Might be a snake slithering by…”

The thoughts kept getting stronger and stronger, yet I pressed forward. Then I started walking, stopping, and looking around for a snake. My thoughts transitioned to:

• “Should I turn back around?”

• “Oh snap – what if you turn back around and a snake still appears?”

• “What the foolakie were you thinking? You stuck in this snake pit now!”

The thoughts were really coming in thick. I started to speak back to the thoughts and cast them down as I slowly kept pressing forward.

Then I looked a bit ahead of me and BAM:

A SNAKE

I thought: 

AIN’T THIS ABOUT A MOTHA SUCKA

I yanked on Pepper’s leash to get him back closer to me and started praying inwardly. I realized no matter how much I prayed I was still in this snake situation. I had no phone on me cause I wanted to be all “one and present with nature” – that was a mistake LOL #neveragain

Bottom Line: It was me, the dog, and the snake.

I realized that although help hadn’t appeared in the form of an angel making itself visible or a knight swooping in to carry me away –  I had all that I needed. What did I need? The firm decision that I wanted out of this snake situation and a willingness to take action.

I decided that I wanted a better human experience and yelled out loud “Okay PEPPER! You Ready? On your Mark, Get Set, GO!”

We took off!

Pepper and I went into an all out 200M sprint! The hat I was wearing flew off and I caught it in my hands – mid stride. I had no time to think on if there were other snakes around…..as Peppy and I were too busy dipping out like the feds were breathing down our neck! I am certain we broke the Olympic record with how quickly we turned on the burners!

I told myself that if I run fast and only think about where I’m headed then my current environment will matter less and less. If there were any more snakes on the ground – I didn’t notice them as I was focused on:

Running My Race

Pepper and I ran around the rest of that pond until we made it to the:

Safe Snake Free Sidewalk

This experience confirmed for me that sometimes a “snake” will appear in our lives not to harm us, but to get us to take drastic action. So if you find yourself fearful of snakes that may be lurking or find yourself in a snake pit – fret no more! Go ahead & get your double take, but rest in knowing that you have what it takes to:

Shake the Snakes & Elevate

Make It Happen,

Lonisa Mari