Inspiration from Julia
The following words are both painfully and wonderfully true. Thoughts that we should think about consciously everyday as we go through the motions of our lives and be filled with immensely to influence our impact in every area of creation and ultimately, the direction that humyn culture evolves. Today's entry from Julia Butterfly Hill:
"Imagine if an angel appeared to you and said, “I have a gift for you. A gift of divine importance. A gift that is the most deep and profound you will ever be offered. The gift I offer you is you life, and it is for today only. Today is your last day. This is my gift to you.” And then, the angel disappears.
Imagine what you would do in that moment. Imagine that moment is right now as you are reading this. How would you live your last day? Your last hours? Your last minutes? Your last seconds? What would your last action be? Your last word? Your last thought? Your last feeling and emotion to flow through the last beat of your heart?
Would you want your last action to be driving in a car or walking or bicycling, throwing something into the landfill or reusing it, sitting in a chair complaining about what is on the news or out in your community creating your own news? Would you want your last word to be angry and cynical or joy-full and loving? Would you want your last thought to be judgmental, one of regret and hate, or hope, peace, and fulfillment? Would you want your last heart beat to pump fear, sadness, hopelessness or abundant universal love?
What we so often overlook is that every single moment is the angel standing before us offering us the gift of our life.
And yet, how many times do we throw this gift away, wasting this most precious treasure, squandering it on our insane rushing pursuit of everything we do not have. Our “Bigger, Better, Faster” addiction leaves us like hollow junkies with only the momentary reprieve from which we wake hungering for our next fix.
Through it all, the angel stands before us offering the sacred gift of this precious moment. This moment IS the sacred messenger-sent on a heavenly mission.
From the beginning of most faith-based traditions, we were gifted with the option of choice-our opportunity to self-actualize as the divine beings we were born into or away from our highest possibilities. And yet no matter which choices we make, which path we follow, the angel stands before us offering the greatest gift ever given. We need only open our hands, hearts, minds, and spirits and step boldly, courageously, and divinely through, breathing deep into the magic of this moment. Here is the gift. The gift is within you. The gift is you.
I have lost 22 friends in 13 years. They are all gone from the physical world-all before the age of 30. I wonder what their life would have been like had they known? I wonder how I would have been with them had I known? The answer is this moment. It’s all I have. It’s all you have. It is all any of us really have. If I were told this is my last day, I would have risked more, loved more vulnerably, laughed more openly, worried less, breathed deeper, shined brighter, hugged more, and challenged myself even further. So in my commitment to the sacred magic of this moment, in my commitment to you, in my commitment to the profound gift called my life-with all of its ups and downs, triumphs and horrors, loves and heartbreaks, and all the in-between-I recommit to living every moment as it were my last. Whenever my time comes, I am committed to saying I have lived well, laughed immensely, and loved bigger and more courageously than I or anyone could believe was possible. Thank you divine angel for appearing before me today and gifting me with the greatest gift I have ever been given."
"Imagine if an angel appeared to you and said, “I have a gift for you. A gift of divine importance. A gift that is the most deep and profound you will ever be offered. The gift I offer you is you life, and it is for today only. Today is your last day. This is my gift to you.” And then, the angel disappears.
Imagine what you would do in that moment. Imagine that moment is right now as you are reading this. How would you live your last day? Your last hours? Your last minutes? Your last seconds? What would your last action be? Your last word? Your last thought? Your last feeling and emotion to flow through the last beat of your heart?
Would you want your last action to be driving in a car or walking or bicycling, throwing something into the landfill or reusing it, sitting in a chair complaining about what is on the news or out in your community creating your own news? Would you want your last word to be angry and cynical or joy-full and loving? Would you want your last thought to be judgmental, one of regret and hate, or hope, peace, and fulfillment? Would you want your last heart beat to pump fear, sadness, hopelessness or abundant universal love?
What we so often overlook is that every single moment is the angel standing before us offering us the gift of our life.
And yet, how many times do we throw this gift away, wasting this most precious treasure, squandering it on our insane rushing pursuit of everything we do not have. Our “Bigger, Better, Faster” addiction leaves us like hollow junkies with only the momentary reprieve from which we wake hungering for our next fix.
Through it all, the angel stands before us offering the sacred gift of this precious moment. This moment IS the sacred messenger-sent on a heavenly mission.
From the beginning of most faith-based traditions, we were gifted with the option of choice-our opportunity to self-actualize as the divine beings we were born into or away from our highest possibilities. And yet no matter which choices we make, which path we follow, the angel stands before us offering the greatest gift ever given. We need only open our hands, hearts, minds, and spirits and step boldly, courageously, and divinely through, breathing deep into the magic of this moment. Here is the gift. The gift is within you. The gift is you.
I have lost 22 friends in 13 years. They are all gone from the physical world-all before the age of 30. I wonder what their life would have been like had they known? I wonder how I would have been with them had I known? The answer is this moment. It’s all I have. It’s all you have. It is all any of us really have. If I were told this is my last day, I would have risked more, loved more vulnerably, laughed more openly, worried less, breathed deeper, shined brighter, hugged more, and challenged myself even further. So in my commitment to the sacred magic of this moment, in my commitment to you, in my commitment to the profound gift called my life-with all of its ups and downs, triumphs and horrors, loves and heartbreaks, and all the in-between-I recommit to living every moment as it were my last. Whenever my time comes, I am committed to saying I have lived well, laughed immensely, and loved bigger and more courageously than I or anyone could believe was possible. Thank you divine angel for appearing before me today and gifting me with the greatest gift I have ever been given."