“Heroes take journeys, confront dragons and discover the treasure of their true selves.” — Carol Pearson
Recently, I listened to a conversation that introduced the idea of how all of us are ultimately, biodegradable. That’s right, those grains of sand in the hourglass are slipping by for each of us . . . slowly at first, and then seemingly imperceptibly . . . we take notice of our mortality. For some it is shocking, for others who have noticed their lives consciously, it is the process of our life’s journey. It may be quite a wake up call, that shakes you to the very roots of your existence. That precious commodity that we take for granted called time, when we realize it is slipping away . . . jolts us into the present reality of evaluating exactly where we are, and more importantly what do we do with those moments left to us. Mary Oliver puts it in another perspective, “Listen — are you breathing just a little and calling it a life?”
There is always the opportunity of choice, chance and change. Every day we make hundreds of decisions whether we are cognizant of it or not. Many of us run on automatic pilot programmed through continuous repetition of routine, habit, scheduling and appointments. It is an endless continuum of places to be, things to do and people to see. We have always had the choice to choose differently, perhaps not always conscious of that choice but it has always been there. There were always moments, reflective or immediate that we had the chance or opportunity to go in a different direction with mindfulness, purpose and hope. If we even opened our hearts, minds and eyes to what we were doing at any time in our lives, we might have embraced change rather than run from it. William James has another thought on this . . . “To change one’s life: 1. Start immediately. 2. Do it flamboyantly. 3. No exceptions.”
We are all on this heroes journey together, confronting dragons, discovering untold treasure and peeling back the layers of our lives with the timeless skill of eternity. We have a portal to our consciousness which unlocks our true selves. To be awake, present, aware and alert to our individual truth, unlocks the secret to who we are. Abraham Lincoln suggested this . . . “You are of no advantage to anyone who has your negative attention.” Who has your attention in this moment? Is it positive or negative? You’re the only judge to tackle what is predominant in your life. As children we played many games that involved three words: Ready, Set – Go! The stakes are much higher now . . . the balance of your time resides in: Ready, Set and Live . . . Consciously! JLR