Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in
– Leonard Cohen
The wind is blowing tonight. Looking out into the darkness, I can just make out the Mexican blanket fluttering about on the deck railing. The wind chyme is doing its thing too and I wonder if a storm is approaching. On my laptop, The Stones’ Time Waits for No One plays - a modern-day truism I occasionally experience lying awake on those restless nights when the wind in my head is ruffling all of those internal post-it notes. “There’s just not enough hours in the day to get it all done,” goes the lament. Sometimes the tick tock of the everpresent clock is not an issue though… like when I’m doing something I love. It happens when I really show up, when I’m totally there with whatever I am doing.
I have a book for ideas that come to me, and there’s a few in there which are calling to me with an ever increasing urgency. I’m beginning to think though that it’s not so much that the ideas are calling to me, as it is what they represent: who I really am and how I might want to be in the world. There are many ways we can contribute to the world around us; over a lifetime, there will be numerous versions of us, some that work, others that don’t. Eventually, we arrive at a place of knowing who we are and what’s important to us, but this can only happen if we try, if we give ourselves time and space to experiment AND share the results.
Where are you in life ? Are you in the fast lane, are your wheels spinning, or are you stuck on the side of the road ? There’s much to be learned from all three places. Do you have the feeling that you could be doing something else, something that is a truer expression of who you really are ? Are you holding on to an idea or a dream ? Are you waiting for something to happen before you write, travel, quit that job, love someone, move to the country, start that business… ? Are there unfulfilled desires or long held dreams that you’ve put away on your inner shelf marked “Things to do when the time is right” ? Most of us have one; I know I do.
Try loosening the grip you have on those ideas, those things you think about doing all the time, but are afraid to begin, or finish. How about another truism: “You are not what you create” (thanks Bruce Elkin). Begin to see yourself as separate from what you do; think of yourself as a conduit, that’s right, a pipe, through which stuff flows. Some of it will be brilliant. Some of it may suck. The important thing is to keep the pipe clear, allowing your ideas to move from in here to out there. So what if they’re not perfect. Any cracks show that you’re human, prone to errors and messes that we call “mistakes.” Many of the greatest offerings of all time were initially followed by the following profound expression: OOPS. Put your offerings (the oops and all) out there and simply pay attention; the impact they create will tell you what to do next.
Maybe it’s been a while since you fantasized about escaping your current nine – to – five existence in favor of life of freedom and adventure. Maybe you’ve completely forgotten what it was you used to love doing, if only you had more time. Take some time to remember. Talk to a trusted friend, someone who knows you well; they can help you remember what you always wanted to do. Figure out one small step you can take in the direction of what you want. “You don’t have to go from A to Z, just from A to B.” I heard this from Barbara Deutch, a benevolent kick – in – the – creative – ass if there ever was one. Spend some time with her and she’ll help you get out of that prison called perfection. “You can’t make choices from a place of perfection. There’s no freedom there.” More wise words from Barbara.
Modern life has a way of keeping us so busy we barely have time to chew our food, and so distracted we lose sight of what’s truly important to us (like our dreams and desires). Give yourself the gift of solitude and find a quiet space, away from clocks and cel phones and traffic – all those things that drive us to distraction – a place where you can hear yourself breathe. In that quiet peaceful space, think about what you’d love to do, and who’d you be doing it. The world wants and needs us to really show up, cracks and all.
Peace out,
Patrick
A thousand shining moments are just waiting just to happen to you.
