(For anyone wanting to live without worry of what others think)
I've been listening to Andra Day a lot lately. I love that she writes her own songs, her soulful voice, the title of her album "Cheers to the Fall," which is based on her belief that being open to failure has allowed her to flourish, ...and I love that she wears her hair up in a bandanna like Lucille Ball (who she's long admired). What each of these reflect and what I love most is her seeming lack of concern with what others think. I'd like to say the same for myself, after having peeled away many layers of self-consciousness over the years. But, there's one thing I've yet to do without fear of judgment, and that's to sing. Not just sing, but sing in front of others beyond my husband and daughter at home while we're cooking. It bothers me not to have enough freedom of spirit to do so. Whether talented or not, I believe singing is a universal expression, up there with speaking, smiling, laughing and crying. The same could be said for dancing. I, like many in these times have outsourced part of myself to artists. Until I do sing from the soul - my joy, my praise, my heartbreak..., I'm pretty sure I'm missing out on an intended part of the human experience. And though I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to remedy this, I do think it's one of those things that's going to require me to throw my knapsack over the wall. Courtney A Brown
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(For anyone considering making a contract with themselves.)
It's one thing to say you're going to commit (publicly) to a daily practice. It's another to do it. Yesterday, after blogging about my challenge/gift to myself in my 50th year, I told my husband about it. As I said it out-loud, I realized what I'd done. "Oh..sh## ...I just threw my knapsack over the wall." This favorite expression (less the, "Oh...sh##") came from our listening to the Harvard professor Tal Ben-Shahar on YouTube. It seems once your knapsack, with food and supplies, flies out of your hands and over that wall, you can't go back. All you can do is turn your attention to the details of getting over the wall. 'Throwing your knapsack' is a deal - a contract you make with yourself. It says, "This will be hard, probably embarrassing, scary, maybe even painful - but none of that's going to matter once you've committed." The only reason to throw your knapsack is when part of you (your soul) knows that if you don't, you'll stop moving forward on your path...Because, to throw it over and not climb is unimaginable. Courtney A. Brown |
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"Divine" references the soul, our collective souls and the mystery of life. ArchivesCategories
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