In doing this activity, I got stuck at Question #11:
Take 4 minutes (or pages in my case) to explain your life story in as much detail as possible.
This is not an easy task to accomplish. I realized through four small pages what life events I considered noteworthy, and which did not make the cut. In four pages, it was humbling and slightly disturbing to see so plainly how I view my childhood, and what things I chose to include and exclude from my summary. I missed some pretty significant life events, and I wasted a few words telling a seemingly meaningless story about a small detail. I got to thinking how others might answer this question, and how our versions of our childhood story is so indicative of how we view our lives.
I was discussing many things with a dear friend on our Road Trip this week, including our childhood, relationships, places we have visited, language, and general interests. It is both amusing and quite telling how our personal views of our childhood can shape all of the other aspects of our life. Whether we struggled or had things easy, were rich or poor, traveled or were sedentary, played sports or an instrument of some sort, we all use our childhood either as an instructional tool for living our lives or as a reminder of why we need to do something different as adults. As adults, we all figure out which parts of our childhood we would like to retain and recreate, and which ones we would rather shed, forget about, or otherwise alter.
For example, I did not do any traveling until I was in my twenties. This is something I discovered that I cannot live without as an adult. It is so important for me to change up my scenery to allow for some distance of my mind and spirit from the attachments I have made. My friend, let's call her Elsy, is a bit older than I am, but she is figuring out which aspects of her life she would like to retain and which she would like to shed, just like I am. She is also quite fond of travel, and has done it much more often than I have, but that was part of her childhood she remembers fondly.
I find it intriguing that, as beings, we change our views about life and our habits, but our interests often remain similar in theme. Sure, we gain and lose interest in some things throughout our lives, but our passions and true personalities often remain the same. I'm glad to have recognized many of my passions early in life. I am constantly learning new things about myself, but I have always had a pretty firm grasp of who I am.
This brings me to a central topic of my week/month/year which was epitomized through a Joseph Campbell quote:
"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
Many of us get so swept up in life and in making plans for the next day/month/year that we sometimes don't see the things right in front of us which inspire our passions. A child who is inspired by music would more likely stop to watch a street musician, maybe dancing or singing along with them, while an adult would be more likely to pass by so as to keep to a tight schedule. This is obviously a highly simplified example of letting go of our plans to enjoy what life has laid in front of us, but it is one of my favorites because I still stop for the street musicians. I have met a few very cool, talented individuals that way.
Applications on a broader scale include things like having unplanned children and job opportunities. This reminds me also of another quote along the same lines as the first. I find them both extremely fitting for this week. The saying goes like this:
"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future plans."
From what I've read, Woody Allen came up with this line, but a similar theme can be found in a Yiddish Proverb, among other places. This theme of being open to life as it happens seems to be one of those "secrets" shared amongst a club of successful people who have been shouting their secret from the rooftops so that the rest of the world may share in their wealth. I don't know about you, but I'm excited for the direction my life is going in! I have been trying to keep some flexible yet ambitious goals in mind, and I can't wait to discover where they lead.
Message of the Day: Let go of any rigid plans you have for yourself. Life is messy; embrace your opportunities as they come.
...Or don't. It won't change my reality. Cheers!
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