A musical instrument in the hands of a skilled musician can penetrate the human soul. Like instruments, people can also radiate songs – the music that is our authentic self.
We sing our soul’s song when we show kindness and understanding, especially when others experience great personal difficulty. We sing the song of joy by helping others laugh or with a gift that is a heart-felt surprise. We sing the song of love when we listen rather than counsel, and when we see their best rather than focus on their short-sighted decisions or costly mistakes. The gift of the heart, of being present, is beyond words. People may not always remember what you said or did but they will always remember how you made them feel.
Every day offers us a new beginning to choose who we are, what’s important to us, and how we want to live our lives. Courage is the musical instrument of change. Determination is the song that turns dreams into reality. The magic of the soul’s song plays once we’ve given ourselves permission to embrace a new beginning. Perfect patience is the key to perfect possibilities.
I traveled during high school to countries where I saw first-hand the squalid conditions that many people called home. Families perched on a mountainside under pieces of aluminum and cardboard or crammed together in a two-room, dorm-like, cement block they called home. We were privileged to meet some of these people and were shocked by their inner peace. They lived in extreme poverty yet were happy and content. I realized they were blessed beyond belief.
Former National Geographic photographer Dewitt Jones tells us to “celebrate what’s right in the world.” Captured in his spectacular photographs are the authentic self – a smile, a tear, a spontaneous celebration of achievement, pure joy, wonder and adventure.
In her book, “Everyday Grace,” Marianne Williamson writes that, “The human race now stands on the brink of a historic transformation, with new eyes, new ears, new minds, and new hearts … we are becoming a new, more spiritualized version of ourselves. We are moving toward a universal compassion because, if we do not, we will cause our own extinction.”
Similar to you, I intuitively know many things that I haven’t been formally taught in school. I call these insights “soul wisdom.” Like golden threads, they are woven together to create a rich tapestry of color, texture, shapes and size that depict the story of our life’s journey. Our greatest power is to see beyond what is and to imagine what could be. This invokes the circumstances of our choosing. Williamson states that, “the attention we pay to the nature of our thinking is the most powerful attention we can pay … a miracle is simply a shift in perception.”
What constrains us from our powerful, authentic self are false beliefs. Illusions that we are not powerful, not capable and not worthy prevent us from stepping into and owning the greatness that exists within. These limitations are nothing more than self-imposed beliefs that form walls within our minds. If you think you can’t, you’re right. If you think you can, you are also right.
The music that emanates from your authentic self is the greatest gift you can give to another. I wish you blessings beyond belief this holiday season.
