Recently I had the good fortune of
spending some time on the beautiful Island of Kauai in Hawaii with my awesome
parents. This trip was phenomenal not only because I was able to reconnect with
my family, whom I miss so much, but also, because I was able to reconnect with
nature, which, always brings about some revelations.
This morning before I left that Mecca
of nature to return to the city of angels, I was taking a final dip in the saltwater
lagoon. While I was swimming around I heard a small child say to his mother who
was sitting outside of the water in the shade, “This is a once in a lifetime
opportunity, you should be enjoying yourself in the water” And she said back,
halfheartedly, and with a defensive overtone, “I am enjoying myself.” To me,
this was a very telling metaphor.
Now perhaps I am about to read far too deeply into this.
Maybe the lady truly didn’t like getting wet and preferred to sidestep paradise
in order to sit off in the shade. But my first thought was: isn’t this, sadly,
how many of us lead our lives?
The beauty and the opportunity is
right in front of us, waiting for us to dive, or at least dip our toes, in and
we sit off to the side, lying to ourselves, saying we’re content. This is
something we don’t do as children. Somehow we grow up and we decide that our lives
are better off led by fear and hesitation than faith and inspiration.
Most of the time the road to our
most fulfilled self isn’t that far off, but we’re simply unwilling to brave
another element other than the ones we’re comfortable with. The transition,
and, more deeply, the thought of the transition, from air to water is the
hardest part. Once we’re submerged, we rarely want to look back to the false
sense of contentment of our past.
Now Here is my challenge to you
all, as well as to myself: let us skip the painful build up, and fear of
transition, and commit to taking the action to be our best, most joyful selves.
Most of the time the path is much
less hazy and rocky than we imagine, and it is extraordinarily freeing to
release yourself of a need to feign happiness. Let us strive toward
unadulterated bliss, and accept whatever lessons come our way in the meantime.
And for God’s sake, if you’re in one of the most beautiful places on earth and
you have the opportunity to go swimming in a magical saltwater lagoon, take it.
It’s refreshing, and it might just bring about enough inspiration to change
your way of living…Or at least to write a nice blog about it, or hopefully, both!
;-)
Positive thoughts and the healing
power of love your way,
Lo
