Fantasy

The fish are real to me!

Fantasy in our lives is incredibly important.  So much so that it's just as important to be able to differentiate our fantasies from our "real" lives.  Very difficult for us that are dreamers and are constantly dreaming and imagining all kinds of situations, stories and things that are not "real".  In the end it's up to us as human beings to distinguish and create those boundaries - if we choose to do so.

Which is why I'm watching the Oscars tonight.  A night of total fantasy, beautiful gowns, beautiful actors giving amazing performances...actors and other artists understand fantasy very well.  They embody someone's words for a few months and voilà, a movie comes out and they have to disembody from that character and move on to the next.  And give us - the audience - an incredibly amount of pleasure in the process.

In my life, I choose what act I will live out at any given moment.  It's less about the character traits as those are consistent throughout my life but it is always about the attitude I choose.  My most frequent choice in this lifetime has been to strive for a positive reality no matter how tall the mountain looms in the distance.  My point of view has meant peace and survival for me but I have been taken to task for it by my family.    One of them is puzzled by it and doesn't know whether he should emulate it and the second seems resentful that she cannot master that skill herself.

What is reality anyway?  It's what's in your mind.  Which is why refraining from judgment whenever you can is - for me - the way to go.  It's a way to give the benefit of the doubt to everyone so that my relationships are not forever tainted by judgment and criticism.  It's very tempting to judge and to condemn others for what they lack - in reality we all are at different levels of consciousness.  I don't know where I am on that imaginary scale but at a minimum I better be able to forgive and accept.

Dream.  And dream BIG.  It's the only way.  

Inspiration II

I have written about this topic before (May 13, 2011).  As I have said in the past, all themes - such as inspiration in this case - have many angles.

I was with one of my dearest friends recently - just talking.  About life and its challenges.  How sometimes things seem so difficult and then you go through them and you are fine.  Still standing.  Still hopeful.  She said you never know when you are inspiring people by just living the life you live.  She was talking about me and my life.

I don't think one lives one's life to inspire others but it's interesting to know that sometimes one has an impact on someone else without even trying.  I'm on a road of discovery and I am learning so much from others!  One of the most valuable things I learned is that those that come from a place of love consistently shed their own fears in the process.  The love they give in the actions they take becomes more important than to feed and nurture their fears.  I have been the lucky recipient of that love from many friends in countless ways in the past few months so I am talking from experience.  I know I am incredibly lucky.

In reality, it's having that love and support that has carried me through - it hasn't been so much about me and my strength in facing the unknown as it's been about my friends standing by me.  I am the one that gets out of bed in the morning and goes through the day with great expectations - that is fueled by the fact that I don't feel alone and I know I am loved.  Which also gives me a sense of responsibility to forge ahead.

They have my eternal love and gratitude.  They inspire me.  

Adrift...

I haven't written for a few months.  It's been a crazy time to say the least.

I'm still standing.  Although I must say I feel slightly adrift.  In a way it's a great feeling because I'm free to let how I feel guide my next steps. And how I feel depends on what is happening at the moment.  In that sense, it's a true adventure.  The best part of it is mostly being in the present at all times.  That's all I have!

Interesting experience.  I decided I must document this unique period in my life.

Stay tuned.  More to come...