RISE
THE SILVER SNEAKERS
I bought a pair of silver “sparkly” sneakers a few years ago. Not sure why, to be honest. I’ve worn them quite often, and people always compliment me.
I was recently watching the movie “The Wiz,” a second adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz,” and in this version, Dorothy, played by Diana Ross, wears SILVER shoes, not red.
Towards the end of the movie, Glinda, the Good Witch, tells Dorothy, “HOME is a place we all must find. It’s not just a place where you eat or sleep. Home is knowing your MIND, your HEART & knowing your COURAGE. If we know ourselves, we are always HOME.”
It took me a long time to realize I had everything I needed INSIDE all along. So I put on my silver sneakers, “clicked” my heels three times, and was HOME.
BRAVERY
The word bravery re-entered my life just a week ago as I forged on this unknown path of writing again. I’ve thought a lot about this word this week.
Are we BORN brave, but then we get spoon-fed a diet of fear and learn to bury it?
I believe my kids were born with it. They aren’t afraid to try new things and be their authentic selves.
I know I was brave at some point. How did I lose it?
When Alex started performing, I would get anxious for him before a show.
“Did you practice? Are you ready? Are you nervous?”
I used to ask him all the time. “How do you perform on a stage with a crowd of people looking at you?” He’s like, “I don’t think about it. I’m just doing what I love.” 😳
What a concept! A child can teach you more about bravery than any book out there. Just watch them.
DYING TO BE ME!
After my Dad died five years ago, I started studying people’s near-death experiences. What was on the other side, and when these people came back to their bodies, what happened next?
One common theme was that they had started living more AUTHENTICALLY. Now that they were given a second chance, they would live FEARLESSLY in the direction of their dreams. No more “wishing” they would “do it.” They weren’t going to HIDE anymore. They would live their truth, pursue their passions, and LOVE everyone.
Forgiveness was huge. It didn’t mean they would tolerate bad behavior but instead send love to those who hurt them from afar. They were no longer concerned with holding any grudges or hate.
They were also going to SAVOR every moment life had to offer.
After reading @anitamoorjani book Dying To Be Me, she stresses that “Heaven is HERE on earth. Our true magnificence exists right NOW.”
Everything you want is already INSIDE you. You will never get it OUT there. And my favorite, you have to LOVE yourself like your LIFE depends on it.