Two Lives

"We have two lives, Roy...The life we learn with and the life we live after that."

:  "The Natural" (Movie)

I heard this the other day and it struck me funny.  I've thought about it since, so I decided to break my online silence and start to write again, and share what's in this head of mine. Hmm,...Two lives.

Do we really live two lives?  and then I naturally would ask myself ..."Which one am I in the middle of now?"  I suppose for me, as I think about this, it makes sense that the things we are meant to learn, ARE learned, then we are able to be at peace and live the rest of our life in peace and in harmony having finally learned the lessons we came to learn.  If we DON'T learn them, then we are still in the middle of the circle that causes us to face the same lessons (over and over again) until we finally get it.  As I think about what I want out of my life at this point,.. I can only say that all I want is PEACE right now.  Which actually indicated that I don't feel peace much in my life.  I feel at odds and in conflict a lot of the time.  If there's conflict, then there is pain, where there is pain, there isn't much bliss, where there isn't much bliss, then I have to look in the mirror and change some things that will allow the bliss and the peace to flow again.  

The first life,.. the one that we learn with,..  The silliness of life that we get out of our system.  Becoming an adult and putting away that childish side of me.  That's not the "life we learn with" (to me).  Once those silly things are put away (some people never get there, even in their older years), we then, with our very best efforts and intentions, we still stumble and fall and learn.  Doing our very best, jobs or businesses fail, and things don't always work out.  We learn and adapt.  Relationships, with stars in our eyes and hearts SO full, we try with our absolute best foot forward, and yet still,.. things don't work out all the time.  We turn circles and continue with the same patterns and yet still don't learn the intended lessons.  At what point does the life we are learning with, turn into the life we live after that?  Perhaps there is a flaw in the movie quote.  I would say that we haven't ever arrived, yet we should always continue learning.  Learning is a lifelong pursuit.  Yet I don't thing that's what the quote was talking about.  I think it's painting to two lives where the first we learn our lessons (some never do),...yet then we finally find a balance in life where we are at peace, happy, and settled.  The inner storm isn't there anymore, and we have learned to be at peace inside.  We let go of the mistakes we made, the mistakes others have made, and learn that there just isn't any reason to carry that around with us any longer.  The unnecessary weight of pain, guilt, and shame, that we carry on our shoulders.  Just forgive it ALL and let go.  

Perhaps that is a better to think of it.  The life we lived as we would not let things go, and we would guard our stance and positions with ego and fear,..then finally letting go of it all and then living that 2nd life of freedom from our baggage of "stuff" that we somehow felt so inclined to hold onto.  This person wronged me there, and this other person or circumstance wronged me over there too!  Victim thinking and hanging onto it all.  Justified by our own hurt narrative,.. then finally seeing that it’s all cancer to hold onto those things.  Let them go,.. and then LIVE!  Other circumstances arise,...LET THEM GO IMMEDIATELY!  I suppose we get better at it, because that ol' ego wants to live.  Oh boy does that ego want to live and be the victim.  Let it all go as Michael Singer says in his book "The Untethered Soul"...Chapter 8, which is entitled "Let Go Now or Fall"... Wow,.. how I have been blessed to have this chapter sent to me today.  I was asked to read it slowly with an open heart.  I did as I was invited to do.  With prayer before reading it, and an open heart, I did read it.  It logically yet gently taught me to just let go.  I loved it.  I am so grateful, humbled, and filled with grace and love. 

Perhaps it’s on each and every one of us, to decide when we’ll begin that “2nd life”, which only begins when each of us decides to forgive ourselves, others, and circumstances; when we can finally live that second life.  That one of PEACE that I believe many want.  It’s on US to just decide that it’s time to let go, forgive, and have and experience that PEACE!  

Yes please!  

Dance with Life

This song has meant so much to me ever since I saw this movie (Phenomenon...John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, Robert Duvall) back in 1996.  The film is about what is possible in this human experience.  It's about the mind and heart, and how they both can be unlocked to unlimited potential and wonder.  It's about how we should not fear greatness, and yet most do fear what might be different than what they see as acceptable.  It's about allow life to simply BE what is can be,...so beautiful and of a higher frequency with which most are unfamiliar.  It's about stopping the "rush of life" to just feel the one-ness of energy and existence with nature, Mother Earth, and The Universe.  To truly feel and witness the awe and wonder that exists even by listening to your own breath, your own heart beat, and the love that is truly all around and in us at every moment.

To "Dance with life",... what does this mean?

"Dance like nobody is watching" is a common phrase we've all heard.  It is about being present, and BEING YOU!  Nobody is there to judge in any way, so just BE YOU!  Full of life and energy, passion, and zest.

Is it possible to live this way?
When the kids are screaming, and one needs to be at practice in 15 minutes, and the others are hungry and need to be fed.  When homework or job deadlines are due and you're under the pressures of circumstance.  When misunderstandings between people occur, someone has wronged you, and problems seem to be overwhelming.  Can we really "dance with life" in those moments?  When those things that happen that cause us to no longer "Dance with Life" and be present.  God knows that I have not been fully present in some of those moments in my life, yet others I have.  I haven't always consciously understood the contributing factors that cause us to respond better or worse to the circumstances that arise.   As I've learned more of the ego, and how much it plays a part in most of our lives.  I've learned the ego is a killer of "The Dance"... Becoming more aware of the ego, is the beginning of the end of ego.  I've also learned that maintaining an "attitude of gratitude" is a helping factor to difficult situations,...yet when we are wronged and the ego flares up,..it has been sometimes difficult for me to remember gratitude in those situations.

Recently I've met someone that has taught me so much about love and gratitude!  "Is it loving?" is her filter to any response or circumstance...and now it's mine as well.  Am I choosing a loving response?  Can I remember that question in those moments when the kids are screaming in the car and they're late for practice?  Can I remember that I love my child and want them to know that, more than whether or not they're at practice on time?  Can I recognize that I'm usually doing my best and sometimes circumstances cause us to be late from time to time?..and IT'S OK!  Life will still be ok, and tomorrow you'll get them there on time.  In those fights or misunderstandings can we remember that we do love this person?  If we don't can we remember to love ourselves, and not allow something that isn't loving to come from our own selves?...

"The Dance" and the beauty of life comes from BEING LOVING with others and ourselves,...and GRATEFUL!

What has been AMAZING to me as of recent... is that as we seek to surrender to LOVE and GRATITUDE,.. then we somehow get introduced to people and circumstances that allow love to grow and expand!  It's a miracle to me, that as we truly love those in our lives, and as we feel so filled with love,...then boom, our world expands and new situations and people enter our lives and we somehow feel so much more love for those that have come.
My Mother use to talk of this miracle.  I remember her saying "When I had my first child, and I felt so much love for this little gift from God,...and I can't imagine loving another child as much as I do this one.  Then when a second child comes along, and boom...My heart expanded and I was blessed and filled with so much more love.  It truly is a miracle!  Imagine how big and expansive God's love is for all of His children!!"

As we surrender to love,..then our love expands,..and we get to surrender more and more to BEING LOVE.

The "Dance with Life" that I've had has recently expended to such a bigger circle for me.  I have met my match made in heaven, and it is nothing short of a miracle!  Love is a miracle, and we get to choose it, or not.

(Opening lyrics to this song)
"I was thinking out loud 
One life's such a short time for love
When a match made in heaven arrives
Eternity is never enough"

It is so exciting, humbling, and so loving!  It's a miracle to me as to how much she and I have been blessed lately!  I believe that God and The Universe have so much to show us!!  It truly is beautiful and ours'!!

It's interesting that people have their opinions about it, and how they think it's "supposed to be",..or reasons why it might be challenging.  What is amazing is that she and I simply choose to surrender to "Our Dance"!  To be present, to be loving, to be grateful for the miracle that it IS!  To be open to what is possible for our hearts and minds (as this film teaches)... Details can and do figure themselves out ONLY IF we can remain present, loving, and grateful.  The possibilities are endless, and frequency is based on love and hope which only points upward!  To SOAR and DANCE with Her as we choose this life that WE see...togther!  God, how I thank Thee for bringing me someone with whom I choose to soar and build.

(Closing lyrics to this song)

"Swim in the soul of your eyes
'til we melt into the night
We need to dance with life
And leave a brilliant light behind"

She is light, She is Love, She is my Match,...She knows how to "Dance with Life",.. Yes Please!

Oh how I hope you love this song as I do:
~  "Dance with Life" by Bryan Ferry  ~
Go watch the movie too!! ..."Phenomenon"

Open to your thoughts on this "Dance with Life" topic!

What do you practice?

"Law of attraction is bringing you more of how you are feeling"  ~ Abraham Hicks

How am I feeling?  I sure do feel great sometimes, and other times,.. not so much.  If I am not feeling inspired, motivated, or even grouchy and fed-up, then I know it's time to unplug.  I know that it's time for attitude adjustment.

How much can we control our emotions?  It is my belief that we can control them 100% and it is our choice to feel the way we want to feel.  We must be mindful of our thoughts though.  Thoughts, lead emotions, and our emotions lead our actions.

To me,... rebooting my attitude is a matter of stepping back from the noise, and restarting with thinking of that for which I am grateful.  The basics.  What brings my mind joy and makes me smile inside and out?  If one counts how blessed they truly are, it doesn't take long to feel good, to feel loved, and to be in a better space.

"The seeds of sorrow cannot take root in a grateful heart."  I know I've quoted that a couple of times in this blog, yet how true it is.

A friend of mine shared this video with me, and I think it's fitting for this blog entry



"...Men are, that they might have joy"

What do you practice?  Our attitude is always our choice.  Practice JOY :)