"Try not to try too hard... it's just a lovely ride". These are the simple and wise words of James Taylor from his song "Secret o' Life". It's a line that always gets me. You see, there's kind of a danger in living a conscious life. There's often this tendency to overanalyze and try too hard to "get it right". I know this has been my experience, anyway. That line of the song instantly calms me... reassures me... and even gets me to sort of laugh at myself. Levity. Ease. Grace. The Big Exhale.
To allow the "ride" part of the journey, we have to see life as such. When we "take a ride", we have to allow ourselves to be carried... to flow with all the twists and turns and bumps in the road. This doesn't mean we just go whichever way the wind blows... it means we lay down a road of intention and allow the wheels to align with it.
Remembering that life is indeed a ride keeps things in perspective. It helps us to not take things too seriously... get too lost in our "story"... or drown in the deep end of the pool. It's about trust. Trusting ourselves and life enough to flow with it. Yes, we do our valuable work digging through the rubble of our conditioning and false beliefs... but it's important not to lose sight that love is all there is underneath all that rubble, even when we can't really see it. We just need to trust it is there. Always. Love is the rock solid road beneath our wheels. Holding fast to that... to love... we are free to enjoy the ride. To enjoy the living!
Whatever specific intentions we pave our road with, it really does all come down to love. Remembering that is what helps me when I get stressed about trying to "do the right things" to further my goals. We can get so caught up in trying to make things go the way we think they should that we block the natural flow. For ourselves and for others.
To allow the "ride" part of the journey, we have to see life as such. When we "take a ride", we have to allow ourselves to be carried... to flow with all the twists and turns and bumps in the road. This doesn't mean we just go whichever way the wind blows... it means we lay down a road of intention and allow the wheels to align with it.
Remembering that life is indeed a ride keeps things in perspective. It helps us to not take things too seriously... get too lost in our "story"... or drown in the deep end of the pool. It's about trust. Trusting ourselves and life enough to flow with it. Yes, we do our valuable work digging through the rubble of our conditioning and false beliefs... but it's important not to lose sight that love is all there is underneath all that rubble, even when we can't really see it. We just need to trust it is there. Always. Love is the rock solid road beneath our wheels. Holding fast to that... to love... we are free to enjoy the ride. To enjoy the living!
Whatever specific intentions we pave our road with, it really does all come down to love. Remembering that is what helps me when I get stressed about trying to "do the right things" to further my goals. We can get so caught up in trying to make things go the way we think they should that we block the natural flow. For ourselves and for others.
I experienced this in action last week during our spring break beach trip when the 9-year-old among us had the idea for the three of us to build a sandcastle. Fun! She began by designing the structure with her dad and then started building. Because she had her own idea about how things should be done (out of excitement and, well, just being a kid), she started "instructing" us. I immediately started feeling this sense of constriction... which really shouldn't be the case when you're building a sand castle! ;-) See, instead of being on my hands and knees sculpting sand like she wanted me to do, I was more inclined to collect unique and beautiful rocks and shells to adorn the castle. That was my thing. The underlying intention was the same for all of us... to build something together out of love... but how each of us showed up to it took some allowing. Once I explained this to her, there was a freedom and flow in our creation together...and in our experience together. A very small scale reminder about how important it is on the journey to honor each other's "way"... and each other's pace. Allowing alignment is a huge part of enjoying the ride.
There's another line in "Secret o' Life" that I just love: "Nobody knows how we got to the top of the hill... but since we're on our way down, we might as well enjoy the ride". Ahhh... there is something about mid-life in particular that changes the view. Having spent so much of my younger years trying so hard... working so hard to make things "right"... there is such freedom in having "been there, done that". And letting it all go. One of the biggest rewards of having done all that work is recognizing that it doesn't have to be so much work anymore. "Sliding down... gliding down..." as James Taylor puts it. Yes, I still have my bumps, twists, and turns in the road... but my vehicle these days is better equipped to roll with it all. ;-)
"The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time..." Don't forget that! It can't all be roses all the time... but it's always a good idea to have those rose-colored glasses handy. Enjoying the ride is just a perspective away. :-)
"The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time..." Don't forget that! It can't all be roses all the time... but it's always a good idea to have those rose-colored glasses handy. Enjoying the ride is just a perspective away. :-)
RSS Feed