Dream On

At my age, I look back on my life and wonder why I wasted so much time and energy on inconsequential things. I see younger people now getting sucked into that same frivolous, stressful, often painful vortex and I wish I could help them avoid all the messiness that need not be. Then I think well maybe that’s just how we learn and grow, through the chaos, the trial, and error we develop character, wisdom, and strength? Maybe when we’re that young that’s just how it is developmentally? Maybe everyone goes through similar phases?

I question that, though. I really think that had I known better, with support and resources, healthier circumstances that I would still develop character no matter what. I don’t believe we need to suffer in order to grow. It helps us have compassion for others having survived pain and loss you know how it feels and can fully empathize. And then you can help support others from that place of knowing.

Maybe after this pandemic, we’ll have a collective shift away from the trivial to what truly has value and meaning. Instead of focusing on the external, we’ll realize the need to go within and get to know ourselves, our truth and what matters most.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if we all became more emotionally intelligent and unafraid to express what’s in our souls creatively? If we lived in a more spiritual, intuitive, inclusive and loving, connected, reverent way?

Maybe this will get through to us so we’ll finally see… what truly matters is making sure we’re all taken care of and enjoy one another and work together interdependently on what moves us, inspires us and what truly serves us collectively. We’d invest in social welfare, saving the environment and thriving of everyone, nurturing each person’s own unique talents for the highest contribution and beneficence.

I can dream on lol, but maybe there will have to be at least some steps towards that loving vision of a world. How can anyone say that this was working when the entire world is being affected in such a massive way in this day and age when we have so much technology, brilliant minds, and resources that we neglected to use effectively because some people wanted to maintain top dog status no matter the harm and costs? All that matters to some is maintaining power, control, and what benefits them the most.

I know most of us are not like that, abusers, takers…yet we play along because we try to no avail or we don’t know what else we can do. We get by as best we can and some of us try to stay true to our hopes and dreams, yet many of us die with the music still in us, or we give in and give up. We want to be content and happy, so we are thankful for what we have and create happy bubbles as best we can. What of our happy bubbles right now?

I finished listening to Untethered Soul today and was relieved that there was a discussion of the middle way, which is what I try to practice. It was a lovely book and the main takeaway was to remember that it’s important to let go of things you can’t control, to practice letting your emotions move through you, and let go of all the petty irritations so you may live a peaceful, joyful life. To stop resisting and come into acceptance, to keep practicing staying present so that you remain steady in the storm. Remembering to anchor yourself in love and live from that truth.

Trying to invest my time and energy into more consequential activities these days. How about y’all? What are you looking forward to most when we emerge on the other side of this?