Today my grand twins turn the same age that I was when my daughter was born. Eeks. Enjoy life while it’s happening folks, and don’t wait till you get the end of it to look back and ask yourself where it all went!
Somehow I managed to make it to this end of life in once piece—maybe a little worse for wear, perhaps, but still functional nonetheless. When I was younger, my goal was to get to my sunset years and be able to look back and say that I reached the end with no regrets. Honestly? I have to admit that I didn’t quite make it to my goal because there are a few of them sprinkled throughout my life. Those regrets are the parts and pieces of myself that are woven into the tapestry of my life. I see them not as regrets, but as badges of honor, for they are to be revered for the gifts that they have given, the lessons they have taught, the forgiveness they have brought.
Regrets are reminders that sometimes goals are set but not met, that failure to achieve the desire of one’s heart is not a failure at all, but a signal that perhaps the heart needs to go in a different direction. Disappointment is a fork in the road that points to an opportunity to either redirect desire onto a new path, or to let go and walk away. Throughout my lifetime, I have taken both roads. Often, I have asked myself, is walking away giving up? Or is it the Soul suggesting that the correction of a wrong choice might be a preferred option? Perhaps there are no wrong choices, but rather opportunities to engage our free will in the play of trial and error until we get it right.
There are times when I allowed self-doubt to stop me from pursuing the desires of my heart because I lacked the faith in my ability to pull it off, whatever it was. And there were times when I was struck with a flash of inspiration and charged ahead full steam and became so immersed in pursuing my dream that there was no room for self-doubt to sneak in to undermine my plan.
A friend recently told me about Allison Hadden, a motivational speaker engaged in a battle with cancer, who says, “As scary as it is to accept, all of us are going to die – yet none of us know when. It’s time we start confronting this reality and living life like there’s no time to waste.” If ever there were a poster child for pursuing purpose, she would be it. Clearly, she is not daunted by her illness, but instead is using it to inspire others, and she is not giving up.
Nor have I given up on my one primary vision in this lifetime—to live life in a way that would ultimately lead me out of the quagmire of ego and personality, and into the peace and calm of a heart and soul centered life. That vision has led me down many a garden path—some strewn with lilies, some with thorns, but every road taken has led me one step closer to my destination. I am grateful for the thorny roads, for they have led to the realization that a path of lilies is a path of true joy. Never give up on your dreams, dear ones. Hasten as ye go for there is no time to waste.
Note: The photo above is courtesy of New Waves of Light, a website designed by anonymous individuals around the world who share the intention of bringing light and love to a world of darkness and chaos. (newwavesoflight.org or NWOL.us).