We're ALL World-Changing Contributors

Last night Kel told me the repeat of an old story of his with different characters than the last time. A co-worker shared with him a video of his 20-year-old nephew pretty much making a guitar sing. Kel’s typical response (and I’m choosing to be hard on him to show him how hard he is on himself) was to tell me, “It made me want to give up my own music and just call it quits…That’s it…What am I trying to do?…I’m done.”

Yes, I see around me more and more genius savants, more heart-centered, creative, and talented young people than ever before. And, yes, at one time, I was comparing myself with them and making the same statements (mainly to myself about myself) as Kelly did above.

But as I told Kelly last night, these kids are growing up in a world of artistic opportunity and access, via the worldwide web, that we never had. And the consciousness of the era in which we grew up (1960s to 1990s) made severe cuts in the arts and focused solely on mental intelligence—a huge creativity stagnator (spell check tells me I invented a new word here), if there ever was one.

Art and music were considered nice little “hobbies” that only a few could “make a living at.” And often that was done by making sacrifices in other areas of personal well being. Starving artists in all areas of the arts often became most famous after they died. Unless, of course, they were dramatically strange during their lifetimes and people were fascinated by their insane-looking antics. Humans love their drama.

Most importantly, though, I realized that all these creatively wonderful young people coming into this grand world of ours are here because WE (and our parents and grandparents, etc) started opening doors of conscious awareness that made it possible for them to be born, and to even thrive here today. WE opened the proverbial box and initiated the changing of this world.

And while the change is admittedly a wild and chaotic ride—I wouldn’t miss it for anything. We’re bringing forth amazing new potentials never conceived of before.

We have a great deal to celebrate, fellow lighthouses.

And the greatest gift we can give to our loved ones is to embrace, and live joyfully, self-compassionately and self-encouragingly our own individual lives at every age.

People who think sacrificing their own happiness for their kid is doing the child a favor are missing the point. What child wants all that pressure and heartache to bear? Mommy and Daddy are miserable so I can be happy...Hmmmmm. Wouldn’t you rather Dad and Mom got up each morning excited about sharing with you their personal delight for the possibilities of each loved one’s day, in place of comments about “making a living” at jobs they just feel miserable at day after day after day?

Every single one of us is a LIGHTHOUSE in our own unique way—and age doesn’t matter. That old adage of “not being able to teach an old dog new tricks” is B.S. as far as I’m concerned. Old dogs just need to get rid of the “old” misnomer first and then open up their limited box of life and feel into what might actually be possible for them.

We have gifts and talents, as individuals, that we’ve yet to tap into, and I'm certain NOW is the time to start experiencing them. Nobody wants to hear about the disadvantages and hardships we had growing up. Moreover, using those as excuses for not grabbing our own brass rings and living one's own wildly abundant life seems pretty idiotic to me.

I used to have a hissy fit (frown,sweat profusely and get confoundedly mute) anytime someone asked me, "So--what do you do?" Recently, my answer came to me: "Why--I'M LIVING MY LIFE!" That pretty much leaves me a wide-open field of possibilities. Granted, I have days where I feel frustrated, because this, for me, is a new way of approaching my life. Some days the old crap feels neck deep, but inside here is a tingling of knowingness that I'm making it happen, regardless of how slow it seems to manifest. I trust that manifestation part will get quicker, too, with experience and practice. These amazing young people give me that hope.

We can do, and be, anything we desire, but we have to really get quiet and spend some time alone with ourselves in order to feel that. If you’re “too busy” to take some time for you with you, you’re being lazy. Take a few conscious breaths and realize the gift that you are to yourself. Let the joy of that dance inside you first, and just maybe the rest will find its way into your life. For me, it’s worth a celebration and a shot…