COURAGE MONTH: DAY 9: “For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.” ― Eric Roth
I really, really love this quote! It gives me a feeling of hope and possibility. In a world where aging is the lessening of many parts of life and the loss of so many things, it is wonderful to embrace the possibility of knowing that we are not limited to one of anything…one job, one career, one marriage, one relationship (for life??? Not my story), or Really! One home…I have had many dozens of some of these things. I have re-invented myself in so many ways, before and since recovery began.
And I truly believe the best dreams are yet to be lived out, for me. I have so many things on my ongoing Bucket List that I could live another 200 years, but I know that I won’t. So I do not force this issue. I get up each day and thank my Creator for knowledge of His will for me and the power to carry it out. I don’t ask, I say Thanks and then get on with the day as I have it planned, if I do. (Thanks to Chuck C. for this one!) I can allow a lot of open space in my days…a blessing from the Universe where I live today.
I have had a couple of shifts in direction this week. It is good and perfect and I am grateful that I can see when they come, so I can be mindful of allowing them to be a part of my day.
There is nothing but change in this Universe…we have to be mindful of that so we can flow with it. The saddest thing we do to abuse and harm ourselves is to stand adamant in the face of the shifting tides of life. There is nothing BUT continual, consistent, ongoing change! The only thing Creator created was the energy of FLOW and CHANGE. So to stand still in the process of life and believe it is static is so harmful and damaging to not only our lives, but our psyches and our hearts, which WILL be broken by that attitude and stubborn clinging to what is or what was.
Embracing what is coming is often likened to jumping off a cliff, which I heartily recommend! There is nothing so exhilarating as finding out you DO have wings! Hooray! That there are wonderful breezes that will keep you aloft and gently (or not so gently) land you on the ground, or that will allow you to grab hold of a parachute or pillow on the way. Any of these options are preferable, in my book, to being stuck on the edge of the cliff and waiting for someone or something else to do it for you.
That is what we do when we are victims of life, we wait for life to decide which way we should go…sigh! What a drag! We do this until we learn that it is our only job to live fully the lives we have been given. And we think this is courage, but it is the Law of Life…Just Do IT as the Nike ads say.
I have jumped off a bunch of cliffs, flown some, crashed some, but most often landed exactly where I was supposed to be. Risks are thrilling and joyful and keep me in the knowledge and wisdom that I am ALIVE!!! YAY!!!
In the late 1990s, there was a song, performed by a couple of bands, but popular by Aerosmith: “I Never Wanna Miss a Thing” … this was the song of my courtship with my husband; and I sang it to him a lot as he was in his ending process. It remains my theme song, because I want to be mindful of all that is going on in my world and never, ever, ever be so afraid or caught up in my own shit that I miss one second of life going on while I am here!
Dolphin Hug 