The Way back to Now … (08/19/15)
My dear Friends … So many of us choose to see life as a journey towards a particular goal or dream or vision — a destination, so to say — only to realize at its end that life is something else entirely; something far more wondrous and far more — well, important.
You see, we each only get one shot at this thing called life; we each only get one chance to embrace the great gift of consciousness we have been given — the truly majestic opportunity to use our power of choice to make a positive difference for future generations — and indeed, for our own generation as well.
And yet so many of us (often myself included) choose instead to see life as a journey — a certain place to get to; a dream job &/or a dream relationship to obtain; a particular mission to fulfill; a specific status or success to achieve … And so we scan the horizon every day — constantly on the lookout for potential storms to avoid; persistently gazing at the horizon ever hoping for the next sunrise; always searching for things joyous or pleasurable or comfortable to fill our time while we wait to get there — wherever “there” might be.
And yet this is NOT what Life IS, my Friends … Life is NOT a destination, Life is NOT a set of goals or dreams, and Life is NOT even a journey to walk — it is NOT even the road that lies beneath our feet. No, all of these things are part of the future, that elusive & illusory ever-someday that never quite makes it to today …
And yet today is where Life IS, and today — every day — there is Life. In THIS one moment and in THIS single space, there is Life — all the Life you could ever hope for … For right Here & right Now — right in this instant & right where you already are, your complete Life awaits you. It waits for you to embrace it by embracing others … It waits for you to cherish it by cherishing others … It waits for you to honor it by honoring others … And it waits for you to Care for it it by Caring for others.
And not just the others you find it easy to embrace; not just the friends you find it easy to cherish; not just the loved ones you find it easy to honor; not just the strangers & the associates for whom you find it easy to care … No, my dear ones, Life truly awakens — Life truly IS — when Life itself is truly Loved. And we can only do so when we stop walking down Life’s “road”; when we pause to look around us in awe & appreciation; when we seek & find the one person or one being nearby who needs our Kindness the most (hint: this is the one nearby to whom we least wish to give the same); and then when we reach out to give that being our everything — when we reach out to gently give that fellow being our Love.
May your journey pause often today in this most sacred Way … Amen.
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