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To find what can not be found | Day 312 of my 2023 Journal

Cecilie Conrad·Nov 9, 2023

To find what can not be found.

“Certainly, you have to be lost to find the places that can not be found,” Captain Barbosa says in Pirates of the Caribbean. I am holding on to that as I implode, falling into the depths behind my own traps, not knowing who I am or what I am doing, how to get back on track, or how to find any balance.

It is a radical problem, as I am currently writing a book on balance. I believe in my project and my insights, yet I sometimes fall and fall and fall, just like Alice in Wonderland; I keep falling into a confusing darkness with rareties staring at me.

I know I have to give in to it; I know it will pass; I know it is part of the process; it is what it is. Not a sign of something gone wrong, just a reminder that I am awake and adjusting. It seems to me the hours are flying by, and I sometimes feel I have no clue, no stamina, no power.

Can balance be found in life? It is for sure like happiness. True happiness, described by the word in my language, is a word held much more dear: “lykke” - the happiness that shines with contentment, peace, and sparkling strong emotion simultaneously. This kind of happiness is not a destination; it can never be reached. It can, indeed, be aimed for, and finding balance is part of that aim.

Where happiness is like a portal we walk through that will disappear if we stop and try to stay in it, balance is a moving exercise. When you ride a bike, it isn't very easy to keep your balance if you are not moving forward at the same time. Unconsciously, balance is kept while looking for traffic or birds and pedaling along the path under the blue sky or in the rain. Balance is tricky to keep when we stop to think about it, but even harder to keep in the long run if we NEVER stop to think about it - so here is the rub.

Sometimes, we must get lost to find the impossible, allow the falling to arrive in a transformed reality, and close our eyes to truly see. Follow the stories of Barbosa, Alice, and The Little Prince, and listen to the absolute truth in the Big Narratives we love.

So I went for a walk. A long one. Looked at the murals, the birds, the squirrels, and the ocean, and when I came back, the movement had put me back on track; I had found the momentum to keep going, fumbling my way toward balance.

With love

Cecilie-Underskrift-300x133

Cecilie Conrad

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Unschooling and Parent consulting, conversations, blogposts, and podcasts on family life and learning

Hi, I'm Cecilie Conrad. I'm a trained psychologist, mother of four, radical unschooler and full-time traveller. I have lived with unschooling for over a decade and help other families find their own path – whether it is about homeschooling, unschooling, or the bigger question of how you want to live as a family.

I offer guidance, conversations and talks. I call my work grandmothering – not coaching in the traditional sense, but presence, professional insight and concrete help navigating motherhood and finding your way home to your own values.

Am I the right person to help you? You can book a free discovery call, and we'll talk and figure it out.

Unschooling & Parent Consultant
Grandmothering – not coaching. Read more here

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I share my knowledge and curiosity about family life and learning in my two podcasts.

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Ten years ago, we visited Venice for the first time. Our youngest son was just a little one, my hair was still short after cancer, and I still had m…Read more
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Some days on our journey are so packed that it is simply impossible to reflect on them the next morning as my 365 challenge asks for. Sometimes, I ha…Read more
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Ravenna showed up on our travel itinerary because of a Donald Duck story. It is funny how things are connected. Read more
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We have crossed the mountains from the coast and sunshine to the coast, crossing a landscape of snow. And we lived in Sant’Oleo for three days lookin…Read more
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