I woke up this morning thinking about epitaphs. I don’t know why, or if something in particular triggered it but as I went about my morning ambulation I kept wondering what if you could live your own epitaph? If you knew someone was going to write about you after you were gone, how would you live, and what would they say as a result? What kind of life did you lead, what sort of person were you?
And knowing all this how would you live? What choices would you make? Would you smile more? Would you be kinder? Would you have more patience? Would you take better care of your body? Your mind? Would you complain less? Would you remember to say thank you and please? Would you take out the garbage un-reminded? Would you stop to smell the flowers – literally? Would you hold the door, or let someone go ahead of you in traffic? Would you pick up the phone and call someone you care about and say “I love you”? Would you give away some of your money to charity, or someone less fortunate? Would you take the time to look someone in the eye when you meet? Would you truly care about what someone was telling you? Would you feed on drama or would you promote understand and compassion? Would you choose no matter what, Love over fear?
What if every day you awoke you did so with unlimited Gratitude? What if you forgot you would one day no longer be here or that someone was going to eventually inscribe some simple words on a piece of granite attempting to sum up a whole lifetime of experiences? What if you just lived so totally in the moment the way you want to be remembered?
Living like when the curtain comes down, you’ll be serenaded with wild applause and calls of “bravo, bravo, well done…!”
“Before my last breath”, right? What’s holding you back from being so totally you in every way you imagine?
Nothing’s written in stone just yet, right? So venture forth dear readers and live your epitaph!
Have a great Friday.
J
Friday, November 21, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Passion, Muddy Legs, and Blue Sky
It’s been a while since I can say that I had mud on my legs and actually appreciated that fact. You see I went for a mountain bike ride Sunday afternoon. The last time I was off road on a bicycle I lived in California. That was six years ago. My old ti bike has been transformed into a rigid forked, slick tired city basher that can pull a Burley trailer with baby. The cold weather has arrived suddenly and riding a road bike in weather like this sucks. You need a thousand layers on and even then your fingers and toes freeze. I am a warm weather roadie. Riding the rollers indoors is an exercise in will and focus and patience. I started thinking there had to be a better way to keep riding my bike outside until the snow started falling.
I had a brilliant and simple idea. I’d buy another bike. Mon dieux! Not another bike! Yes add another to the stable of 3 now 4. So a friend of mine sold me his full suspension bike that he never rode and was in virtually showroom condition (thank you Chris!). I opted to just do a mellow tour around town since my lower back has decided that after 50 years of playing stunt man it’s rebelling. (Ok at this point in the story those of you who are asking why someone who is ailing would throw a leg over something that is meant to subdue terrain that most people would have a hard time walking. You are smarter than me. So stop reading this instant. Those of who you who love watching someone about to do bodily harm to themselves – keep reading!).
As I pedaled around I felt pretty good so I decided to ride in a section of woods that we (the old bike crew) used to ride regularly. 8 years ago I knew those trails intimately. I steered the bike onto the trailhead and it all started coming back to me. I found myself knowing what corner was next, what line to pick, and when (thank gawd!) to dismount and walk it (don’t tell anyone though). The further I rode the more my love of riding off road began to resurface after a long disappearing act. An hour into my rediscovery I found a large rock in a clearing that looked good to stretch out on. I did some yoga there on that rock to keep my back loose. And then I lay back and looked up and breathed deeply.
The sky was a brilliant blue and the clouds all puffy white. The only sound was the wind and nothing else. A hawk raced overhead on one of the wind gusts - so effortless and inseparable from this place. Feeling the sun warming me on such a cold day felt restorative. I had never in all my years of riding mountain bikes just stopped and relaxed and appreciated the place I was in and the expression of solitude. We used to race along these trails on a mission and with total focus. A competition with either ourselves or each other. Today it was just me appreciating the moment.
A few crows passed and landed in a nearby tree. They had a conversation going that was probably about the hawk. I smiled listening to their song. I stretched a little more and gave thanks to this place and this moment that I was able to stop and appreciate the passion I rediscovered.
I finished my ride in the woods and rode home on the road feeling calm and clear and re-energized. I looked down at the mud covering my legs and on my new bike and smiled. I took the time to play and get dirty and loved every second of it. Mountain biking used to be my favorite sport. And on this blustery Sunday I got my mojo back.
That felt awesome. So here’s my advice. Go play and find your passion. The time is most certainly now…
Keeping the knobby side down.
J
I had a brilliant and simple idea. I’d buy another bike. Mon dieux! Not another bike! Yes add another to the stable of 3 now 4. So a friend of mine sold me his full suspension bike that he never rode and was in virtually showroom condition (thank you Chris!). I opted to just do a mellow tour around town since my lower back has decided that after 50 years of playing stunt man it’s rebelling. (Ok at this point in the story those of you who are asking why someone who is ailing would throw a leg over something that is meant to subdue terrain that most people would have a hard time walking. You are smarter than me. So stop reading this instant. Those of who you who love watching someone about to do bodily harm to themselves – keep reading!).
As I pedaled around I felt pretty good so I decided to ride in a section of woods that we (the old bike crew) used to ride regularly. 8 years ago I knew those trails intimately. I steered the bike onto the trailhead and it all started coming back to me. I found myself knowing what corner was next, what line to pick, and when (thank gawd!) to dismount and walk it (don’t tell anyone though). The further I rode the more my love of riding off road began to resurface after a long disappearing act. An hour into my rediscovery I found a large rock in a clearing that looked good to stretch out on. I did some yoga there on that rock to keep my back loose. And then I lay back and looked up and breathed deeply.
The sky was a brilliant blue and the clouds all puffy white. The only sound was the wind and nothing else. A hawk raced overhead on one of the wind gusts - so effortless and inseparable from this place. Feeling the sun warming me on such a cold day felt restorative. I had never in all my years of riding mountain bikes just stopped and relaxed and appreciated the place I was in and the expression of solitude. We used to race along these trails on a mission and with total focus. A competition with either ourselves or each other. Today it was just me appreciating the moment.
A few crows passed and landed in a nearby tree. They had a conversation going that was probably about the hawk. I smiled listening to their song. I stretched a little more and gave thanks to this place and this moment that I was able to stop and appreciate the passion I rediscovered.
I finished my ride in the woods and rode home on the road feeling calm and clear and re-energized. I looked down at the mud covering my legs and on my new bike and smiled. I took the time to play and get dirty and loved every second of it. Mountain biking used to be my favorite sport. And on this blustery Sunday I got my mojo back.
That felt awesome. So here’s my advice. Go play and find your passion. The time is most certainly now…
Keeping the knobby side down.
J
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A World in Transition
Last night something amazing happened. Some might call it a miracle. Some felt as if their prayers had been answered. And still others felt the despair in their hearts loosen as they watched this unique American spectacle called Election Day. It wasn’t even close this one. The hope and desire for real change manifested itself in the man who won the election by a landslide. The snapshots of Americans who voted for Obama were varied and diverse. The images of people, yeah just people of so many colors standing as one were spectacular. But what struck me the most was the reaction from around the world.
The photographs of citizens from places far from this American soil showing their optimism and joy for the new president to be were beautiful. It blew my mind. It reflected the connectedness that we all share – the oneness of humanity. It was as if color no longer mattered (when really did it ever?). It was like we finally grew up as a civilization. And the man on the TV screen was one of us. No more idiotic swagger and insipid rhetoric. Someone who was going to think ahead and plan forward – looking to the future and yet dealing with the now.
If you get a chance look at the slide show on today’s New York Times website of the worlds reaction to Obama’s victory. It brought tears to my eyes. I thought of my sons Nick & Bodhi and felt for the first time in a long time that maybe just maybe the world they are inheriting will be one based in awareness and love. A world where “change” is not a four letter word, where that simple yet profound word (CHANGE!) becomes inherent in the worlds vernacular and inspires new choices and new directions.
Right now I can feel the transition occurring in my own emotions and within my own body. Something is going on and I can feel my resistance has been in play for a while now. I find that some days I'm all over the new ways I've been expressing myself in the world. Then there are days like today where I fall prey to the "shoulds" and "can'ts" and the feeling of being stuck. Whether it's trying to shift the old way I run my business or the familiar way I hide myself behind my mask. It's the same story. The choice is really simple and really sweet. Keep resisting; keep holding tight to the old model. Or?
Fall in step with the transition, open my arms to the changes going down and let it happen. Last night the world was blessed with an opportunity. Climb aboard that train, cause change is gonna come…
It is indeed a world in transition and I for one am liking what I’m seeing.
God bless and Godspeed.
J
The photographs of citizens from places far from this American soil showing their optimism and joy for the new president to be were beautiful. It blew my mind. It reflected the connectedness that we all share – the oneness of humanity. It was as if color no longer mattered (when really did it ever?). It was like we finally grew up as a civilization. And the man on the TV screen was one of us. No more idiotic swagger and insipid rhetoric. Someone who was going to think ahead and plan forward – looking to the future and yet dealing with the now.
If you get a chance look at the slide show on today’s New York Times website of the worlds reaction to Obama’s victory. It brought tears to my eyes. I thought of my sons Nick & Bodhi and felt for the first time in a long time that maybe just maybe the world they are inheriting will be one based in awareness and love. A world where “change” is not a four letter word, where that simple yet profound word (CHANGE!) becomes inherent in the worlds vernacular and inspires new choices and new directions.
Right now I can feel the transition occurring in my own emotions and within my own body. Something is going on and I can feel my resistance has been in play for a while now. I find that some days I'm all over the new ways I've been expressing myself in the world. Then there are days like today where I fall prey to the "shoulds" and "can'ts" and the feeling of being stuck. Whether it's trying to shift the old way I run my business or the familiar way I hide myself behind my mask. It's the same story. The choice is really simple and really sweet. Keep resisting; keep holding tight to the old model. Or?
Fall in step with the transition, open my arms to the changes going down and let it happen. Last night the world was blessed with an opportunity. Climb aboard that train, cause change is gonna come…
It is indeed a world in transition and I for one am liking what I’m seeing.
God bless and Godspeed.
J
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)