I Believe!

By November 12, 2010October 3rd, 2019Celebration

Today marks the 1-year-anniversary of 6 Months to Live! It’s been quite the week leading up to this moment: featured on Freshly Pressed for the first time, feeling incredible highs and lows, and reconnecting with numerous friends to name a few of the highlights of the past 7 days.

If I had to single out one overarching theme or thought from the week it would be that we’re all connected. I’ve made the assumption for most of my life that no one else could really understand me, but due to life circumstances this week, I was forced to reach out to others in a way that I had not done before. I was shocked to find that everyone I talked to could relate partially or entirely to the feelings I had. What a relief!

As my friends and I drank from a celebratory bottle of champagne, we talked about the challenges and beauty of life and relationships (of all kinds). The idea about being in control of one’s life came up. I used to be all about the 3, 5, and 10-year plans, but as I get older, I’m more about the 6-month-possibilities. I have a good idea of where I’ll be in 6 months, but life happens.ย  With every day, I’m embracing Gilda’s idea of “delicious ambiguity.”

Halloween with Students in China

Halloween with Students in China

The metaphor that came to me at lunch was the idea of life as a river. We each have a boat, and I believe we have a paddle to guide us, but the river is the river. It will be slower in certain parts. There might be a waterfall we didn’t see coming. We might get caught in an eddy or get stuck on a rock for a few days, but the river continues. We can’t control the river. We can only do our part. There might be people we invite to join our boat along the way, or maybe invite to travel alongside us. The river forks in certain places. Maybe a friend takes one route, and I take another, but we’re all on the same river.

I thank all of you for continuing to read and for sharing your stories, your dreams, and your fears. I believe the road to peace is through personal happiness and understanding of others. I believe that unconditional love heals worlds. As Ben Harper’s beautiful song says, “I Believe in a Better Way.”

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