One Wild and Precious Life

I used to wish that life was easier.

More fair.

I secretly wanted to be rescued. Or saved. Or at least have someone help me carry the weight of my journey here on this planet.

Maybe a man. A career. A friend. Fame. Money.

Could do the hard stuff for me.

So I tried subletting my life.

I tried to give away the property rights to my own self.

I tried handing over the responsibility.

The decisions.

And I found that I couldn't do it.

I can't be saved.

I can't be rescued.

And I don't want my life to be easier.

In the hard stuff is where life itself resides. It's where personality is born. 

The moments that I've saved myself. Carried myself. The moments when I had my own back.  

These are the moments that I am proud of.

These are the stories I want to tell.

This is where I became a hero.

So I've surrendered the idea of life being easier. More fair.

I've surrendered the idea of being saved. 

With this white flag, my plan for my one wild and precious life becomes very simple and clear:

To live each day as my own. With my own thoughts. With my own feelings. With the things I love. In the places I love.

To use every minute. To be alive. To laugh. To learn. To love openly. To give freely. 

To know that life isn't fair and that it's beautiful because of this. 

To breathe. To be alive. To smell. And look. And touch. 

I won't wait.

Will you?

Comments

[Esme Gosling - Money Coach]

So true! My best stories or the stories in which I have come out as a better person are definitely the ones in which I was challenged in some way (or, as is usually the case, many ways at once!)

But I truly love the idea of being the hero instead of being bored out of my mind and not just a little frustrated at waiting around to be saved. (But, yes, I put my time in too!)

I know that with my daughter I am definitely teaching her that while she is my princess, she isn't the kind of princess that needs rescuing. (No Disney stereotypes welcome here!)

[Irene]

That was beautiful and just what I needed today. Just months ago my life was as I thought "Perfect" I had arrived and figured it all out. First slowly and then more quickly I started losing it and things started unraveling and falling apart. Now looking around not knowing where to start I see a light. I know it is a season, a time to become more authentic, Yes I am scared but every day I count my blessings and realize life isn't about things. I will slow down and handle things as they unfold. Knowing I can have joy inspite of my situations. I can live more simply and I can handle any thing that comes my way. I feel like a cocoon struggling to free my self knowing that it a personal struggle and the end will be freedom.