Reading, hearing or watching the recap of Ted Kennedy’s life brings many thoughts to mind. Certainly the magnitude of a man committed to service and doing what he could to improve the lives of so many is right in the forefront. His compassion for people, his willingness to clearly and at times forcefully stand for his ideals, his belief in working diligently and often patiently for decades to gain forward movement and his ability to cooperate and compromise to effect change in what he saw as a positive direction are all there to be seen. 

Stories of his personal care, rememberance and connection to friends, family and others in his world are as striking as his political accomplishments. He lived large but also remained connected to the things that really matter in a life.    

Two other things occur to me as I ponder this man who lived such a “big life”. The first is how he seemed to hit his stride after he gave up any thoughts of the presidency. It is as if he found, his niche, the place in life where he could express his own best self and not try to fill the shoes of another. The second is, he also had to face his demons and find his way through tremendous personal anguish and find a way to live in the world with both his blessings and his pain.  And in doing all of that, he prospered by living a rich and fulfilling life that greatly benefited countless others.   We all have the same twenty four hours in a day…his appear to have been  fuller than most and he seemed to use them to till a rich and abundant garden of experience for himself, his relatives and the human family.

After pondering these thoughts on this amazing man’s life, this morning I read an article that made a point of highlighting all the things that Ted Kennedy left undone, all the things he did not do perfectly or right enough, and all the political missteps he made. This is of course predictable. However, it never ceases to amaze me with its undercurrent of belief that goes something like, “It is never good enough”.

In our world there seems to be a belief in perfection for human beings. It is insideous and would most likely be cognitively denied by its loudest proponents, but the belief does seem to live on—Perfection is possible and dammit THEY should achieve it. THEY are everyone else except the one writing the article, having the Monday morning quarter back session and otherwise being too busy crtitiquing others to pay attention to where their energy goes.

The deeper issue here is that we all live in this world where insidious beliefs like the possibility of perfection hold sway without our full realization. This can cause us to have debilitaitng negative feelings and consequently live in ways that are not productive.

Where is it written that humans are to be (even could be?) perfect? This is not an argument for not trying to modify or improve –only a deep questioning of the damage imposed by such an unconscious and deeply held cultural perspective.

I wonder if that is one thing that inspires respect if not awe in me about Ted Kenedy’s life and his inhabiting of it. He lived large, he loved, he laughed, he made mistakes, he faced fear, death and loss, he expressed what he believed was right and fought for it perseveringly, he risked not being liked and he ultimately appeared to enjoy his life experience so that at the end he could acknowledge that it had been a good life.

An era ends …today I choose to remember that we grow from strength, through compassion and stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us and shone a bright light through the prism of their humanness.

One of the most disturbing pieces of the health care debate today is the lack of true understanding and presentation the real issues, problems and facts. This brief video succinctly presents important information to understand about the American health care system and YOUR health.

In the video included in the previous post you may have noticed a contrast in your energy between the beginning and end of the film. At the start of the video it would be quite easy and common to have your energy fall and feel quite slow moving and depleted with accompanying feelings of overwhelm, stress or hoplessness. Keying into the severity and complexity of these issues can leave you depressed, despondent and depleted.It is very hard to think clearly or logically in this state.

Toward the latter part of the film there is a case made for the right use of imagination. You may have felt your energy, thoughts and feelings becoming lighter and brighter during this segment.

We all go through this kind of cycle on a regular basis but do not usually respond in a proactive way in the moment to shift it. It is important to notice this cycle and respond ASAP to clear negative, stress filled negative feelings. When we do so, our energy naturally rises and we have access to inspiration,new ideas, and  hopeful emotions that can bring new solutions or options to our dilemmas that we could not access when in a depleted or downtrodden state.

Imagination is a powerful tool that can help you create for good or ill. By itself it will take the path of least resistance and bring all your worst fears to the foreground. You get to choose how to use this fabulous tool….what do you choose?  

Toward the end of the video however there is a case made for the right use of imagination.

This film is 24 minutes long….there are many thought provoking ideas presented as well as a hard look at ourselves and our world. It  ends on a  positive note speaking about humanity, creativity, inspiration, imagination and having a dream that one gets behind in whatever way possible–or that is how I saw it! How about you? Do you think we can change the world?

I have been talking to a few women lately about energy and midlife and consequently want to share a few thoughts that come to mind that apply in general to all—

In midlife there is a deep shifting of the energy system that is occurring that affects our sense of self in the deepest way. Any issues we have been dragging around for decades that remain unresolved come up for healing.

No matter the specific issues one may have, there is typically for all  the issue of not being the same person one was at 20….not just physically but emotionally/mentally. There is certainly the glaring  fact that we do not look and cannot  perform exactly as we did back then, although many people focus intensely on this aspect and miss can the point of the whole midlife passage. The main point on a deeper level is that we are shifting into a different set of values, ways of seeing the world, and sense of ourselves and others. We have the opportunity to redefine what we want from this point on with more consciousness than ever. It can be a wonderful enriching and enlivening process if we dive deeply and courageously.
Focusing on your sense of self, healing what needs to be healed and “erasing” the old programs of self doubt, lack of confidence and limiting beliefs of not being enough (of anything!) will help allow your passion to flow……passion is one of the major energies that is being reworked and redefined at this stage of life—-relax, stay open, listen and follow your inner guidance….open to your life force willingly, remove the obstructions to allow for more space for YOU and and life will meet you to help create your next adventure on your journey.