Turtles are resilient creatures. From the moment they hatch out of their egg, they are on their own. They have to find their way through the sand and to the ocean. No one is telling them how to get there. Momma turtle is long gone. Yet these little creatures find their way. {Hang with me, there are some lessons from a turtle we all need to hear.}

While on vacation in Mexico, we saw various areas of the beach fenced off. We discovered they were the nesting grounds for turtles! You can imagine how excited we were at the possibility of seeing all these little turtles burrow their way out of the sand.

One night after dinner, we walked down to the beach. If the turtles were going to hatch, it was going to be around this time.

We wondered around the fenced in area, looking closely for any movement in the sand. It was hard to see with only the moon and the glow from our resort providing any light. After a few minutes, we gave up and headed back up to the resort. The turtles were not going to be hatching tonight.

That’s when my nephew shouted “I found one!” His keen eye had spotted one little baby turtle! But she was headed in the wrong direction. The turtle was stuck on the ramp into the hotel. She was nowhere near the ocean. From her vantage point, it was impossible to see the which direction the once was. Even from my vantage point, in the night sky, it was hard to see very far in front of you.

The turtle needed someone with a 360-degree view to help point her in the right direction. She knew her goal; get to the ocean. But she didn’t know the right way to make it happen.

Humans can suffer from the same problem.

You have a goal, you are trying to move forward, but you can’t seem to be making the progress you were hoping for. You are doing things but it feels like you’re hitting a wall. Just like my little turtle friend.

We were able to swoop in and point the turtle in the right direction. One option was to take her all the way down to the ocean. We couldn’t complete the journey for her though. She needed to do it herself. But we could assist her on the right path.

Put yourself in the turtle’s place. You have a vision for where you’re headed, the end goal is clear. Get to the ocean. But you don’t have a clear path to get there. It’s too dark and you can’t actually see the ocean. You are taking steps forward, at least you think they’re forward. You think what you’re doing is getting you closer to your goal, the ocean. But it sometimes feels like you’re not heading in the right direction. You have been getting things done but don’t feel any closer to the end goal. Some days it feels like you’re just hitting a wall instead of finding that open ocean.

You have the resiliency and determination of that little turtle. What you need is someone with a 360 view to guide you in the right direction. Imagine how easy the journey to the ocean would be for that little turtle if another turtle, who had made the journey before, was with her and showing her the way, encouraging those first steps.

I know humans are the same.

We need guidance and an experienced perspective to help point us in the right direction. We thrive on encouragement and hearing someone tells us we’re doing a good job. The spirit of this turtle is exactly what I wanted to capture in my newest program, The Joyful Life Academy.

It was an obvious choice to use a turtle in the logo. The resiliency, determination, and big vision of that little turtle are exactly what the Academy is all about. You can learn more about The Joyful Life Academy here. If you’re ready to head in the right direction, see progress on your dreams, this is the program to get you there. We will all channel the spirit of that little turtle in Cancun!