The Realist’s Invitation

The Pessimist, the Optimist and the Realist sat down for a heart to heart. “It won’t work” said the Pessimist. “Of course it will,” said the Optimist. “It has to work,” said the Realist. “You don’t understand,” said the Pessimist. “I don’t need to,” said the Optimist. “I’d like to,” said the Realist. 

“It’s always been bad” said the Pessimist. “The brightest days have been marred by the deepest sorrow. Beautiful ones overrun by storms and turmoil. It’s always been hard. They’re out to get me and it will always be this way. Life is hard and there’s really no hope it will ever change.”

“But there have been such bright days!” Said the Optimist. “Such beauty, and so much joy. Surely there will always be greatness, love, and tremendous things to look forward to.” 

The Realist took a breath. And another... and another. He moved from his mind and his thoughts of his past and his future into his body and the moment he was standing in. Presence arrived. 

The Realist and Presence held hands and breathed together. “I hear you,” they said. “It’s been sweet and it’s been sour. It’s been both beautiful and dark. It’s been smooth sailing and really hard.” They looked into the eyes of both the Optimist and the Pessimist. The smiled and gave them space. Then, they all joined hands together with Presence. He shared with them a gift of the moment. 

In this moment, all was quiet. In a fully white room they stood with only each other. The Pessimist with his feelings and the Optimist with his. 

“Breathe” said Presence. “Be here with us.  Not in the darkness of the past or the gloom of the future. Not in the beauty of the past or the potential of tomorrow. Be here, now.” 

In this moment they all listened and heard one another despite the

silence.  Pain and pleasure were felt as one. With everyone and everything, or perhaps despite it all, Presence had done his job. And all was still. 


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To Live While I'm Alive

I don't remember writing this piece.  Truth be told, I hope I'm not plagiarizing it.  It's been with me for quite some time now and I've edited it time and time again.  I've made some efforts to find out if there's a source outside myself but I've come up with nothing.  That being shared, I hope you appreciate this as much as I have.


A lot of things will happen on the day that I die. Many things will change yet the world will be bustling with energy and moving about as it always does.

The appointments that were so important will be left unattended on the day of my death.

All of the plans that I made will never come to final fruition by my hand. 

The calendar that has ruled my days and nights for years will no longer be relevant at all.

All of my material possessions that I worked for and guarded will be up for the taking to those who want them, or will carelessly be thrown aside.

My critics can no longer hurt me, and their harsh words will never cause me undue pain again.

The arguments I won that gave me such a sense of satisfaction will no longer bring solace or comfort.

I will no longer rush to answer all of the urgent notification beeps of texts or calls or emails. Their gravity forever ebbed.

All of the regrets I wasted so many sleepless nights considering will be forever where they should have always been - firmly placed in the past.

The worries about the size of my body and its parts, my graying hair, and the deepening wrinkles on my face will be gone.

The image of myself I so desperately wanted others to have, a mirage; they now have to complete it themselves anyhow.

My reputation, flawless and so worked for, is of little concern to me. 

All those things both big and small that caused me such anxiety and so many sleepless nights are now obscured.

The mystifying questions about life and death and what it all means, at once clarified.

All of this and more will come true, on the day I depart this earth.

For all of this that shall come to pass, there is still yet one more thing that will occur.

There will be those people who truly knew and loved me who will now grieve with the pain of my passing.

They will suffer a new void. 

They will be beaten over the head by fate. 

Some may be unwilling to accept that my time has come.

A part of them will have been stolen from them on the day I die and what they will wish for on that day, is to be able to spend just one more moment with me in it.

I know this, for I myself have grieved over the loss of those I have loved.

And because I have mourned, I will try to remember that time is precious.

It is finite. It is fleeting. It must not be wasted. 

For this reason, I will work to not place materials before moments. I will cease worrying about those things which are beyond my control.

Many of those things that seem to matter so much, don't. Do not let them compete for your attention against those things that truly do matter, those moments and people that allow you to actually live while you are alive.

Do not be robbed of the joy you deserve. Spend your energy on those who make you feel alive, who want to spend their precious time with you.

Dance with them before it is too late.

Do not waste the precious daylight any longer in those days you have before the one on which you will draw your last breath.

Don't keep giving your life to all that seems to matter, because when you die and are gone from this earth, most of that stuff won't matter at all.

Yes, I will die one day, and so shall you.

But before I do, I want to live.





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Victims and Outlooks

There will be setbacks in life. Expectations shattered and goals unreached.  There will be bad days and low moments.  Our minds and bodies will succumb to old age in one form or another.  Life will serve us with situations where we'll want to crawl into a ball in bed and cry under the blankets and times when we'll yearn for the luxury of doing so. 

Low moments can either define us or strengthen us. Turn us into victims or victors. While life won't always give us the choice of what our circumstances will look like, we have the choice of how to look at our circumstances and how to react to them. To look at them as opportunities for growth or lousy situations and condemning conditions. 

I see tremendous suffering around me in people who are very special and dear to me. People who I believe have suffered enough.  Clearly I don't get to decide (and I'm sure that's a good thing).   Yet, these individuals keep on plowing through. They rise to the challenge and inspire me with their perspective and outlook. Their drive to be bigger, greater, and win at life leaves me humbled by the possibilities before me in my circumstances. 

When we allow low moments to define us we fall prey to the lie of what they would have us believe our life looks like as a whole. It will pass. Every tragedy will pass even if it leaves heartache or pain in its wake. There can be good days again. There will be. There have to be. 

I plan to win at life. Even while I might be loosing. 

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Airplane!

There's a voice inside myself that expresses itself without words. It need not to verbalize itself in order to be heard. It's not quite as loud as the inner malicious cacophony yet, but it's silent scream gets louder by the day. It's the part of me who reminds me who I am. About my character and my might. My attitude and my abilities.

There's an inner voice which deserves its space to be appreciated and heard. To be felt and touched. To touch others with its inaudible serenity.

I spend so much of my life in tune with the pain but not the tranquility that lies beneath. Focused on the tension but not the release.

There's beauty out there. Both visibly and within those placed expertly in my path.

I gave someone advice this week and I'm working on taking it myself. Notice the beauty. Audibly. Each time someone graces you with kindness, no matter how small, say "thank you." Even if not to the person directly, say it for yourself. If "thank you" is hard for you, use a different word. Maybe even something odd and out of place so I know I'm doing it with intention. I suggested "airplane" because it's the first word my unconscious offered me.

Do it for you. For recognizing kindnesses. For thanking God. To recognize moments of self care. For anything you want to bring your attention to.

It's an investment into me to bring my awareness to beauty, or serene and special moments.

Tranquility, joy, and beauty aren't just "out there."  They're right here in front of me. I just need to choose to recognize them more.

Airplane!

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Not Even Everyone Likes Vanilla

There's a not so fine line between being real or open and full exposure or brutal honesty.  I've had countless conversations with others about how they have a desire to be completely open and honest with everyone about who they are, their deep darkness, and their shadows in order to feel completely accepted.  It's a difficult call to make.  Wouldn't it be nice if being real and being vulnerable didn't have to be congruous?  There is risk involved and though most may, there will always be those who don't love you for who you are.  No one can please everyone.  Not even everyone likes vanilla.  

The conundrum, I believe, comes as a result of an inherent desire we carry as human beings to be loved and accepted for who we are.  While the desire is healthy and natural, it leads people into debates like this one.  Do I share or do I hide?  Should I be open or keep things to myself?  How will I know I'm acceptable for who I am if I don't share who I really am?

There's absolutely no reason anyone should have to go through life hiding.  We all need people we trust who will return our trust with attention, affection, and affirmation.  All of us.  Some of us need it more than others but it's something we all need in one way or another.  The most important person who needs to accept me though, is myself.  In some ways I'm also the most difficult because there's not a single fall, failure, or misdeed that I'm not present for in my own life.  It is, however, quite difficult to find acceptance and love in others when I don't accept myself.  I believe this is where the need for everyone to accept me comes into play.  It's when I don't have it for myself that I need it from all people outside of me and when this is the case, I have a desire to be fully transparent with everyone in order to test their acceptance of me.  

It begins at home.  Self acceptance doesn't mean I'm perfect.  It doesn't mean I'm finished with my growth.  It means even as dissatisfied as I may be with myself at this point because of my thoughts or behaviors, I respect where I am.  I see myself and accept where I am, maintaining my desire for continued growth.  When I can be myself with myself and give myself permission to be the way I am, I can begin to accept myself more fully in the presence of others, even without their approval. 
 
I personally don't believe the old saying "one can't love others until he loves himself," but I do think we can love more fully and better engage in relationship from this place of self-love.  I believe we can be fully who we are and still maintain a level of appropriateness for each specific relationship.  A different level of transparency with each one. 

Your story will inspire others.  It's yours and you should feel intimate, and connected to your process.  We've all been though difficulty and change.  We've all made decisions and encountered defeat in some form or another.  My thoughts on the subject however are this.  Though it will inspire others, not everyone deserves to know your story.  Not everyone needs to know the skeletons you keep in your closet.  Some people will accept you for the public you. With close friends who really know you and fill your tank with attention, affection, and affirmation it's no longer necessary to share all of me with everyone.  Not being fully real doesn't make you fake.  Not everyone deserves to know your story. Not everyone will accept you for who you are.  That's fine.  Not even everyone likes vanilla.  


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Happy, Peppy, Beautiful People

I'm reminded of an old I Love Lucy episode.  One of the classics.  The Vitameatavegamin episode.
Lucy says, "why don't you join the thousands of happy, peppy, people..."  The chosen ones. The people others want to be around.

This week someone referred to me as one of "the beautiful people."  Didn't sit well with me.  I know it was meant as a compliment but it didn't feel right at all.  I also worried that it set me apart and in a way made me less approachable.

As the guy who roots for the underdog, I guess I've come to associate myself with the pack.  Heck, it makes sense.  The guy who grew up kinda chunky, doing things just a bit slower than most in childhood, the guy who liked staying after school, talking to teachers and extra curricular projects.  Not sure I ever felt like the oddball but looking back on it this way sure seems like I may have been.

I wasn't chatty and I still don't think I am.  I was shy and needed to be in my element in order to feel like I had what to offer and feel comfortable.  I was part of a group of friends but we were more like the Goonies than "the plastics."  It was life, it was fine and I guess it became my identity.  I didn't envy the cool kids or try in anyway to be a part of them.  It wasn't my comfort zone and it wasn't where I wanted to be.

I was pretty thrown off the first time someone referred to me as cool.  The title sits on a raw nerve with me and I'm sitting here wondering why.

I think it's the labels again.  Those ideas I've carried about myself and the ways I've taken on as a definition of who I am.  This time it's "not cool" which I've worn for a long time and while it never sat with me as something negative and I've even worn it with pride, it's put me in a box again keeping me from fully being me.  Whatever that means.

What's wrong with being cool you might ask.  Well, in my world there's responsibility that comes with being cool.  There's an air of confidence and an "it's all good" attitude which I think I need to pull off without fail if I'm to wear the cool label.  Who needs that pressure!?  Not I. No sir.

In a way, political correctness has pushed us into this corner telling us which  differences should be rejected and which should be celebrated.  Who is acceptable and who isn't.  It's created a culture of fake acceptance.  Movie stars and singing idols who preach and sing about drug abuse and promiscuous sex are celebrated and given the highest honors while the bible toting common man is pushed away for his babbling and bigotry.  No wonder I think twice before reveling in my newfound place among the "beautiful people." 


I'm still left with the question of what's changed in me for people to have begun seeing me in this new light.  Looking back  I do think something has shifted which may have caused this phenomenon.  I'm much less shy now than I used to be.  I speak and voice my opinions much more freely.  I'm less intimidated.  I love my dark humor and use it when I show up to teach as the heavy-set, "realist-with-melancholy-tendencies," weirdo I am.  I've accepted the things that make me me and I embrace those which make me different. Not all the time or always 100% but I'm closer than I've ever been.

It takes courage to be yourself in today's day and age.  The seemingly simplest of  things has become one of the most difficult.  Leo Buscaglia said, most of us remain strangers to ourselves, hiding who we are, and ask other strangers, hiding who they are, to love us.  What a shame.  What a waste of individuality and creative potential.

I just want to be me.  I want to live a life of my morals.  My judgments.  My choices.  My self.  No labels.  No faking.

Good luck!

P.S. I believe self acceptance (that isn't pride) is not only alluring and engaging to others but it's contagious as well.  Be the change the world needs. 



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Strength

There's a small voice inside of me I have yet to fully explore.  The one on the opposite shoulder of the voice who reminds me how small and insignificant I am.  That voice I'm intimate with.  He's held me back for years and imposed limits on my dreams and abilities.  This is the voice who whispers into my ear and lets me know I'm not enough.  That I'm too heavy, too insignificant, and says "that's not you" and "you can't do that."

Time to step it up a little.  It's time to dig deep and find those parts of me I haven't yet been privy to.  To explore the other voice even though it's still just a whisper in the face of my rage, hate, and pain.
In a life that has known so much darkness it's scary to first be setting my sights on the light.  But the light beckons me today, more than it ever has before.  Maybe you can hear your light calling you?  I believe there are moments in all of our lives where the light calls us to expand and the crack letting it in opens just a little more.

Often it's difficult to know why the light is calling me or what it is I'm called to do.  One thing is for certain though, there's something bigger, better, and brighter meant for you.  There are realms of beauty, ability, and strength you have yet to discover.

Finding new abilities can be scary because they seem to call me to do more.  This fear can either stop me and keep me from my call or drive me to take more risks and go big or go home.  I aim for the latter.  To feel the fear and do it anyway.

I'm reminded of the 4 masculine archetypes as explained by Carl Jung.  He explains them as all the energies that live in each of us (though we all tap into these energies differently). They empower me and concentrating on them gives me strength to step into my call.

I am a Warrior.  My blood boils with the strength of the man God has made me.  I set boundaries and protect those I care for.  I get the job done and maintain a level of separation from emotion when I need to.  My warrior helps me aim for my goals with vigilance and keep my eye on the prize.

I am a Magician.  My magician is the part of me that understands and makes choices.  He allows me to tell my warrior what needs to be done and how to go about it.  My magician figures out my life and contains the wisdom I need to move forward, make change in my life, and navigate the world around me.

I am a Lover.  My energy is loving and accepting and I can feel those around me.  I use words like, "I feel" and "I love you," and resonate with life and my surroundings.  Emotions create my world and my experience and I recognize them enough to allow them to guide me.

I am a King.  I harness the powerful energy of my warrior, my magician, and my lover to bless those around me.  To bring peace and serenity to my realm.  My energy empowers others and allows them to find and connect to their inner King as well.

Just like in you, there is a power within me I have yet to fully harness.    A power that will continue to surprise me, strengthen me and strengthen those around me.  It is a me I sometimes fear.  I fear what I'm meant to accomplish and who I'm truly meant to be.  Yet with all the passion and wisdom I possess, I know this soul has been entrusted to me and that I can command all it has to offer in a way only I can.  It's mine for a reason and with it I am meant to discover who I really am and to continue figuring me out.

What an incredible adventure! Thanks for taking it with me.  
   



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