Flashing Neon sign
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TUMULTUOUS
The past year has been quite tumultuous. I mean that in the literal sense of the word.
Tu-mul-tu-ous - adjective
1. Marked by disturbance and uproar
2. A violent or disorderly agitation of mind or feelings
Major life changes have literally shaken up my world and invited me to see life in a new way. It has not been easy. But as they say, when one door
closes, another opens, and it is the hallways that are hell. My friend aptly calls it "sitting in the ugly spot." I am grateful to say that I
am
now standing up and walking, and like when I first got reading glasses, things are more poignant and more clear.
So, with this added clarity, I am available to see the signs... and one keeps flashing in front of me... WE ARE CONNECTED.
You know how things seem to come in threes? Well they do for me anyway... and this is no exception. First, I
was forwarded a link to the graduation address at University of the South. The speaker was Archbishop Desmond Tutu who I have often quoted when
defining the word Ubuntu - a philosophy of living that speaks to the interconnectedness of all humanity.
Next, I was forwarded a link to Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's presentation at the TED conference in February. She is
the neuroscientist who experienced a brain hemorrhage and described in detail what it felt when "her consciousness shifted into present moment
thinking whereby she experienced herself "at one with the universe."
And finally this past weekend, someone that I do not know very well left a copy of The Shack on my
porch. I was captured by the time I finished the forward and read it in one day. In the fictional story, the main character Mack experiences the
world
like God sees it - all energy and color - everyone and everything are connected through feelings and emotions. The chapter is titled A Festival
of
Friends. The gathering of children that he witnesses "represented every tribe and tongue." They were "the children of the earth" and were
connected such that when one person struggled, the group was affected. This is Ubuntu.
So what's up with all this? It's really simple. Experiencing how all of humanity is connected and coming to
understand what that means for me in my daily life was the defining ingredient in the creation of Happy Monkey. This barrage of information has
helped
me reconnect to what I truly believe in, and I can look back on the tumultuous past year with gratitude.
I am suddenly reminded of Van Morrison's song Whenever God Shines His Light (quoted only in
part.)
Whenever God shines his light on me
Opens up my eyes so I can see
When I look up in the darkest night
And I know everything is going to be all right
In deep confusion and great despair
When I reach out for him and he is there
If you live the life you love
You get the blessings from above.
You can use his higher power
In every day and any hour
He lifts you up and he turns you around
And puts your feet back on higher ground.
Today I trust that where I am headed is to higher ground. That's why this journey feels like a beautifully difficult uphill trek. I go willingly, one
day at a time!
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