To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. – Oscar Wilde
On Sunday morning it was cool, gray and foggy – the perfect day for a run in a cemetery. I love cemeteries not only for the beauty of their natural habitat, but also for the solemnity and silence therein. They are perfect places for reflection and introspection. Being there, alive and running, allows me to honor those who have gone before me.
I enjoy looking at the tombstones – some are very elaborate, some quite simple. Some have birth dates yet the end date is left blank. As I see these particular tombstones, it makes me think how we often live our lives like that – waiting to die. Hear me out.
I believe that we are sometimes so afraid to truly live that we are not really living at all. We play it safe, stay in our comfort zones, go through the motions of life but we don’t allow ourselves to fully be alive. It reminds me of something my grandma used to say, ‘Don’t get too big for your britches,’ meaning, better watch yourself, don’t take too many risks, you might get hurt. So we keep putting off the life we really want to live, perhaps out of perfectionism or out of fear. We have all been guilty of this at some point in our lives. However, these old limiting beliefs no longer serve us and, as such, we have to stop giving them power over us. It reminds me of the saying, ‘If you argue enough for your limitations, sure enough, they’re yours.’
As I was running, I thought about all the money put into some of the more elaborate graves and the desire to commemorate these people. It makes me wonder why don’t we spend our money and time on commemorating our lives now through doing meaningful work, cultivating and deepening our relationships, engaging in new experiences often, seeking out new perspectives, stretching ourselves outside our comfort zones intentionally, laughing often and loving deeply. Our lives can be a living testament to the legacy we want to leave, and we can choose to do all we can now to make that happen.
We are way more powerful than we allow ourselves to be. It is my deepest desire that we all awaken from our zombie-like slumber, realize we can choose differently and begin to believe in ourselves as deeply as we believe in the potential of our children, our students, our clients, our closest friends, or other loved ones.
I believe in you. What do you want your story to be? Start living that story today, in whatever way you can. As you start to believe it, while taking actions that align with that belief, your life will start becoming the life you love.
Your story is one incredible story. I can’t wait to hear about it.
You are a being of unlimited power. You got this.
Sending you so much love,
Kori