This is my 30th Life Introduced entry and, as acknowledgement, I performed a thorough evaluation of my current body of work. I reread all 29 entries (of which 14 had been written over 12 years ago). And here is what I found: dear god have I regressed on so many levels. I wrote about being “judgement free”, really? I have judged people and situations a million times since writing that. I wrote about “trusting your intuition”, “not quitting”, and “spending time in nature.” I can tell you there have been many times over the last 12 years that I failed to listen to my intuition or decided to quit an endeavor prematurely before really giving it a chance to unfold and I can’t tell you how many occasions I chose to sit on the couch and watch T.V. or, more likely, play on my phone then go outside and take a walk to be in nature. Or, what about “parent each child uniquely”? That little girl of mine is a flamethrower and knows how to push every single one of my buttons – sometimes doling out a good old-fashioned “un-unique” scream-a-thon does the trick. As a result, I have realized how fallible I am.
In contrast, there have been ideas and actions that I have continued to deliver on. Eighteen years later I continue to Hemi-Sync and know, through personal experience, the benefits of the practice. “Have a weekly date night” has been a solid go-to for our marriage. And, over the years has recharged our marriage and given us an opportunity to connect without the kids around. For roughly 15 years I have seen a Shaman (Shaman is the name given to someone who is believed to be able to connect with the spirit world, and channels their transcendental energies into divination or healing. In practicing shamanism, it is believed that a person can enter altered states of consciousness. www.yogapedia.com) that has helped to clear and balance my chakras. And, as recent as 4 weeks ago, I began seeing a Shaman that uses Gong Medicine (Gong Medicine is a type of inactive meditation, where you “bathe” in the healing vibrations of sound.) for clearing and balancing. Both are exceptional energy workers that have helped me navigate the landscape of life’s experiences with family, friends, work and myself. I continue to refer to the “Stereo Console Lesson” by adopting a flexible rather than a rigid state of mind when dealing with tough people and issues. As a result, I have realized how steadfast I am.
Of my Top 5 movies of all time, Good Will Hunting sits at number 3. If you are not familiar with the movie, here is a quick synopsis:
Will Hunting (Matt Damon) has a genius-level IQ but chooses to work as a janitor at MIT. When he solves a difficult graduate-level math problem, his talents are discovered by Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard), who decides to help the misguided youth reach his potential. When Will is arrested for attacking a police officer, Professor Lambeau makes a deal to get leniency for him if he will get treatment from therapist Sean Maguire (Robin Williams).
The real evolution of Will Hunting (the patient) and Sean Maguire (the Therapist) occurs during their weekly treatment sessions. These meetings were more like head-on collisions, the characters continuously provoking the other. But, through these collisions, each character’s imperfections begin to reveal themselves. In one of the more charged scenes of the movie, the therapist Sean explains to the patient Will that his understanding of life, his beliefs about life are derived from other people’s experiences, stuff memorized from books, other people’s knowing, rather than his own.
See, there is a considerable distinction between your “beliefs” derived from anything other than your own involvement and your “knowing”, which is obtained from first-hand personal experience.
And, it is only after both of them start living life, that Will is reborn and Sean reawakened.
So, here is what I have discovered after authoring 29 of these blogs – life is meant to be lived, experienced, experimented and collided with, tasted, smelled, felt and heard, played and connected with, no matter the failures or successes of those interactions.
My blog opinions on Onsite, Hemi-Syncing, Parenting, Marriage, Chakras, Golf, Judgement, Quitting and the Power of Intuition are not adopted “beliefs” from news, magazines, social media, movies, T.V. or any other resource of information but rather a “knowing” based on personal experience. And that my friend, makes all the difference, because experiencing the variety of life is the only true catalyst for meaningful growth and happiness.