Our ages and our circumstances and our privileges or lack thereof are all real, and they influence so many things -- but so much more is left down to us. How often do we stand up and be all that we can be?
Hardly ever, is what I was thinking. But then maybe I'm just speaking about me.
That's why I like movies. Everyone is at their very best. Or at their very worst. Usually one of the extremes. Most of the time they complete a miracle change and go from bad to best in just under two hours.
Yet I don't think it's a miracle at all.
We hide behind imaginary walls, full in the safety of our homes and jobs and safety nets -- very rarely reaching out for everything.
Because it's scary, right? You can apply it to your creativity, and see all the times you've called yourself a writer but your actions have shown you to be anything but. Or you can look at your life -- and see how many times you said you'd go to the party but didn't. Or when you said you'd travel across the country to see a friend but found all the reasons not to.
And life goes and goes and disappears into nothing so quickly. You remember a day gone by from some year with a number much lower than this one and picture a moment of joy and completeness and oneness with yourself and with someone you were close to.
And that was far too long ago.
You figure life will throw you good times and opportunities and magic but really it's down to you, down to the amount of times you turn up rather than hide out. You were a Kid In The Front Row some time long ago - you'd try anything, go anywhere, stick your hand in the oven only to learn that it burns.
We don't want to get burned anymore -- so you play it safe and realise days have gone by and you're left with no heat at all.
You wake up one morning and put your socks on and realise this day will be a great one or a bad one or an indifferent one or maybe, if you're lucky, a mixture of all three and more. It's down to you and it's down to you and it's down to you. Scary, right?
No not scary. Inspiring.
ReplyDeleteOch, but it's so darn HARD to step out of that comfort zone, isn't it? Yet as you so rightly say, life is far too short to be sleepwalking through it. Thanks for the shove, I think I'll use it.
ReplyDeleteThis post is brilliant. Just brilliant.
ReplyDeleteMan...I've really been struggling with the thought of embarking on a new journey at such a late stage of my life...I own a home and have a family, a job that some may view as being somewhat successful yet I feel so unfulfilled and empty. I feel this way because I have always taken the safe route and never took a real chance in life. There are so many opportunities that I have let pass me by for fear of failure...chances that may have brought me, and my family true happiness, yet I was content with mediocrity...a mediocrity that is now manifesting itself into a depression and feeling of failure. The very feeling I was trying to avoid. In the movie "Kung Fu Panda" the wise turtle said that 'The road we chose to avoid our destiny is often the road that leads us to it." (paraphrasing). How true this statement is, only now accompanying my feeling of failure is a feeling of regret. I have been asking for a sign as to what I should do with my life and I truly feel as if stumbling upon your blog may be that sign. This post has inspired me to reach out beyond what I see as my boundaries and create new boundaries for myself and my family. No longer will I be content with being content. Thank you ....
ReplyDeleteWhat's scary is reading this and admitting to myself that I've been doing this quite a bit. What a reminder that's it's really up to me. Beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteDuc in altum - "Launch out into the deep". Reading this article reminds me of all those great and inspiring quotes I've read and then forgotten and not put into practice. One of them was 'there is nothing of greater value than a single day...' I am still working on this one. This post reminds me that to struggle is to live and I'm thankful for the strength to keep struggling. Cheers.
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