Perspective...

“The pessimist resembles a man who observes with fear and sadness that his wall calendar, from which he daily tears a sheet, grows thinner with each passing day. On the other hand, the person who attacks the problems of life actively is like a man who removes each successive leaf from his calendar and files it neatly and carefully away with its predecessors, after first having jotted down a few diary notes on the back. He can reflect with pride and joy on all the richness set down in these notes, on all the life he has already lived to the fullest. What will it matter to him if he notices that he is growing old? Has he any reason to envy the young people whom he sees, or wax nostalgic over his own lost youth? What reasons has he to envy a young person? For the possibilities that a young person has, the future which is in store for him? No, thank you,' he will think. 'Instead of possibilities, I have realities in my past, not only the reality of work done and of love loved, but of sufferings bravely suffered. These sufferings are even the things of which I am most proud, although these are things which cannot inspire envy.” ― Viktor E. Frankl

Every moment we encounter in life affords us 360 degrees of choice perspective – where we choose to stand is entirely up to us and each varying degree left or right will present different paths as well as render different results. How we come to our personal choice selections is naturally affected in build up by prior circumstance and life experience - but when the time comes for us to make a move, we make our decision and walk forward from that “next new “beginning. This is an endless cycle in life – not unlike a spider chart or a “choose your own adventure” novel.

As we move and meander along our way we come across this and bump into that. We make further decisions from new angles which create fresh forks in the road, new outcomes - and so we go. Life is ever progressive - in a constant state of change and in order for us to master the journey we simply have to be adaptable. We cannot stand motionless in the sand as the ocean laps its waves over our feet, no matter how good it may feel in that specific moment…because eventually you will find yourself torso deep and stuck, having nothing more than the memory of what was once good as you drown in the now.

“Blessed are the flexible, for change is inevitable. To fulfill our true destiny as spiritual beings we must trust in our divine power to adapt.” ― Anthon St. Maarten

Flexibility presents itself in many ways. It can be the adaptability of the journey which is your life and alternatively your mind-set toward the many “outcomes” of such. Sure, we have all done things along the road of personal adventures, which in hindsight were probably not our wisest choices, nor our finest moments… but again we are always presented with an opportunity to choose how we see things – to exercise flexibility and ultimately change our “bigger picture”.

I have shared large portions of my life on this platform, so... many of you know more about the details of my journey than even some of my own family members do - you will know well then, that I am not the kind of individual that looks at life from a “half empty” perspective. I could have chosen to do that a very long time ago already, but I didn’t – and boy, am I ever grateful for my selection in that particular fork of my road. Perhaps that “initial” left or right decision was complete fluke… but it shaped the starting point for positive change. Unlikely – I think and feel way too much – always have, always will – a great blessing!

We can look back at the choices we made and become sad, despondent or even angry about them. We can allow them to pull us down to the deepest pits of darkness, completely consuming our now - OR, we can look at them for what they really were (and are) – our greatest ever teachers… and the foundations upon which we become!

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.

I recall an occasion where one of my oldest friends had decided that she wanted to take LSD. This was a massive decision for her and yet another “day” for me. She said that she would only feel comfortable doing it with me… and so it came to be. It was an evening I will never forget – probably one of the most notable in my life.

There were three of us. We tore the tiny perforated edges of those laced bits of paper and shoved them on our tongues. Double Dipped Silver Surfers if memory serves me correctly. Within minutes the strychnine hit the jaws, locking them. I knew what was coming – but she didn’t. The kick, kicked and we landed elsewhere. We sat, in the lounge and spoke non-stop for about three hours and as that period of time ended we all suddenly realised that not ONE of us had opened our mouths the entire time. NOT ONCE! It was nothing short of incredible and I have banked that experience in my library of understanding that there is a LOT more to life than we in our “mundane” existence will EVER appreciate!

Flip to the other side of the coin – the hours wore on. I was familiar with this but she was not. The high was gone, but she had not yet found ground with reality and so, she panicked. I had anticipated that this might happen. I am an anxious person by nature, so is she. All she wanted was to feel like herself again… but she didn’t. It scared her, naturally! The remainder of that evening was a process. She lay down, I sat holding her hand offering her reassurance. I sat there the entire night – until the sun rose.

There was much time to contemplate in the hours that my friend clutched my hand as tight as a nut tightened on a thread. I thought about the why did I let her do this?! I thought about the why do I do this?! I could have chosen to become negatively consumed by that experience and those thoughts, but instead I chose to see the good in it. We, as a collective got to experience something that not many others have. When the sun rose, and she woke up I spoke to her. She was feeling unsure about herself. I told her we were going to go out, have some breakfast and we could chat some more. We did. After that, she left – got into her car and headed home. Not something she EVER did again… but she phoned me later that day to re-share the awesomeness of what had happened (despite all the fear and loathing which followed) - we have spoken many times about the incredibility of that evening and what we had all experienced.

This was probably 20+ years ago. One of MANY times which I chose to see the light of it all. There have been plenty! What I took from that night, was that we are all a LOT more connected than we give credit. We go about our daily lives as if we are NOT influenced or affected by those around us, but – we are. We are so STRONGLY connected – ALL of us! Three people, sat for HOURS talking and not a single ONE of us opened our mouths! Think about it!

“Welcome to Telepathics Anonymous. Don’t bother introducing yourself.”― Bauvard

We are constantly presented with the opportunity for change. Graced with the chance to see the silver linings! Around 16 years of age, I recall arriving at my boyfriend’s place – we wanted money for…. yes, unsavoury recreational habits. I had got up that morning and bagged a whole lot of things of my own which I could sell. He, on the other hand – the night prior, had broken into people’s property and stolen things. Surf boards,ornaments, CD’s whatever – not the point. I can remember sitting that morning looking at all of this “STUFF” – mine and “his” and thinking about the two different paths that were taken to find the same solution. He stole – I gave up what I had. Think about it!

Life is not always pretty, in fact many times it is downright BRUTAL – but that brutality always hold a message if you open your eyes and stop long enough to absorb it! I think often about all the things I have chosen to put myself through in my life so far and I smile. Fuck was it a party and a journey! For sure, some of it was rough beyond comprehension, but even THOSE moments I treasure. When you sit with fluid clay on a wheel, it is an act of balance and control which ultimately creates the masterpiece which you get to call your own. Life is little different.

Would I go back and change anything? NO! Would I go back at all? NO! I feel blessed to have the broad experience I do. It changed me - Shaped me. I sit today with a quiet confidence in the knowing of who I am, want and where I am going. I would not change that for the world!

“I am glad that I paid so little attention to good advice; had I abided by it I might have been saved from some of my most valuable mistakes.”― Edna St. Vincent Millay