Changing the Rules

 

We play by the rules

We agreed to long ago

That we once needed and served

That fit where we were at the time

That didn’t feel confining or limiting

But suddenly, they do

And everything changes in a flash

As we dismiss the old

And embrace the new

Not out of defiance

Rather out of love and liberation

Choosing to be emboldened

Choosing to come alive

In the most surprising ways

As we write a new script for our life

That we will continue to edit and delete

Until our last breath

What a simple yet grand privilege

To know with all our hearts

This life is our own

It belongs to us

We are the caretakers of our Self

And cannot be possessed by others

Just as others do not belong to us

Each of us FREE to be who we are

And create lives that we absolutely LOVE

Lives that reflect the TRUTH.

 

I was talking to a dear friend over the weekend and he was so generous in saying:  You changed the rules for your life!  You did.  People talk about it all the time, but you actually did it.  I want what you’ve got but I don’t know if I have your kinda’ courage.  I sipped in all he was saying receiving the love, acknowledging my journey thus far and feeling alive in the miracles that have unfolded within me to lead me here.  Then, I assured him that all that lies within me lies within him; and the fact that he is so tuned in to where I am and all that led me here is information that his soul is knocking, ready to change the rules that he agreed to long ago but no longer fit.  I am simply a mirror for his potential not someone who possesses some special brew of super-human strength.   

The people we meet along the way throughout our lives usher us into our Self.  We connect even briefly and there is a chemical and energetic response within as we share our presence and gifts, our thoughts and ideas, our questions and philosophies, and we are never the same.  Change is absolutely constant, moment by moment, letting go and reaching for more, daring to write new scripts that reflect the truth of who we are instead of agreeing to the same old, same old to make others comfortable.  Motivated by love and liberation not defiance, we come alive in the most surprising ways as we are open to the forces of creation that long to dance us, play us and bring through what we alone cannot if we are willing to surrender all that boxes us in and limits us.

My move to Nashville, Tennessee is one of the greatest surprises of my life and it organically happened as I clipped the tethers of rules that no longer served me and where I am now in my life.  I am blown away by the fact that I love my life as never before and know from the depths of me that I am the caretaker of my Self and cannot be possessed by others as my life belongs to me – my most precious gift.  And I have no desire to possess others, and in this space, I get to love and enjoy all I meet along the way with utter respect for their journeys.  And it aint over till it’s over so until my last breath, the rules will be ever-changing, shifting and morphing to free more of me to come out and play.  So cool!  I am emboldened by this knowing.

The invitation this day is to reflect on the rules that govern your life.  Which rules confine and limit you?  Which rules no longer serve where you are that you need to let go of in order to free yourself?  Remember this is your life and the rules only apply IF you apply them.  Exercise your power of choice in every moment and even if you aren’t ready to clip the old, be okay with this and release any judgment, acknowledging that it is your choice to keep things the same because this is what you need for now.  Patience with our Self is essential.  Compassion is key to nourishing our Self wherever we are.  But when you are ready to hop in seemingly small ways or leap in big ways, be ready for the surprises that leave you feeling engaged in a life fueled by passion and joy.