Be a lighthouse, not a lifebuoy – Jessica Lea Dunn | original quote, October 8th, 2014

It means… be a leader and a beacon of light for others to follow, not a rescuer jumping into the water after them. A message of love, a reminder to myself and an affirmation for you.

To download: Just click on the picture above, which will open up to the full size image in a new window. Right click on this image, choose “Save image as” and you too can have this 8 inch by 10 inch high-quality image to print and frame at home. It is my little gift to you this week!

Why? This week has been a week of healing for me. Of quiet time away from the city, of paddling and splashing in shallow ocean water, pottering about the backyard and lunches out with family. I have also finally had a chance to visit my favourite Naturopath on Tuesday, and a chiropractor for the first time on Wednesday. One of the big lessons (and there were a few) for me during my chiropractic consultation was to stop being a rescuer of everybody and everybody else’s hearts, as it is severely draining my energy – and has been for a long time. You see, I need to learn to empower people to save themselves as opposed to being the one jumping into the murky water to save them. Instead of being the hero, I need to focus on being a leader and a beacon of light so that they can find their own inner strength. And by doing that, I need to also re-balance my energy so that the focus can return to nurturing myself and my immediate family, and listening to my own inner voice and heart guidance.

Who was/am I trying to save? I could easily make a list on more than two hands. It includes both people from the past – lovers and friends as far back as 2007 and beyond – right up until this very moment. It will take time and attention to change the pattern, but since it a pattern that’s not serving my greater good anymore, I need to release it. And I’m not allowed to feel selfish or guilty for doing so!

So – completely inspired by this life lesson yesterday, I created this quote wall art so I can remember. If the message resonates – it’s for you, too. As soon as I get home from my coastal break, I’m going to print it out, frame it and hang it somewhere where I’ll see it everyday!

x Jess

The post Free Printable: Be a Lighthouse Not a Lifebuoy first appeared on A Designer Life.

UPDATE: The font I used is Canter from Font Fabric – isn’t it grand? And it’s free!