Starbursts, Sirens and Siriously Shining

I’ve been wanting to write this post since my father-in-law’s sudden death.

But the wanting was tinged with fear.

Fear that you would be put off, not get my point or worse, ignore me all together.

I’ve been headed in this direction for awhile now, but like you, I’ve allowed fear to slow my steps.

Then death jolted me out of my comfort zone; so I’m running with it and passing it on to you.

“You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live. Now.” – Joan Baez

You live like there’s some day.

You live like you have all the time in the world to pursue your dreams and follow your passions.

Plenty of time to shine. . .later.

I’ve been listening to this for a very long time. I’ve listened with love and compassion, used my training to the best of my ability, but as the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. The horse (you) has to want to drink. Badly, urgently, like your life depended on it.

Because it does.

There is no some day. There is only now.

NOW. And now. And now. Only now.

- That book you want to write.

- The weight you want to lose.

- The relationship you’ve been longing for.

- The dream of being an entrepreneur.

- Fill in the blank. . .

You’ve all got that burning desire.

I know you do because I’ve felt the heat of your passion along with the icy chill of your fear.

And if all that you get from this post is the following, I’ll be happy:

You’ve got to stop waiting for someday.

Why? Because it’s clearly not working.

You’re fearful, anxious, worried about the worst case scenarios going ’round in your head. Excellent! That’s how I know you’re human, and like every red-blooded human you have your very own protective mechanism. Affectionately known as LB (short for Lizard Brain of course), this creature shows up at just the right moment with just the right amount of fear.

But fear doesn’t stop you. You can take action in spite of your lizard brain and its incessant chatter.

YOU stop you.

And you have got to get that, like no kidding, deep down in your bones!

You’ve survived worse than an irritating conversation with a lizard in your head, haven’t you? You’re still here, surviving, which by the way is not the same as living, shining with every cell of your being!

You can do it though. 

You CAN be your best, most radiant self. You can feel the fear and be, do and have what you’re here for.

I feel the truth of that in my bones. It’s why I’m writing this. I want you to shine in a way that will blow your mind. I want that with every beat of my heart.

I’m scared too.

I’m scared because I have so much passion for this burning inside me that I might combust. I’m scared if I let it out, you’ll panic and run in the other direction.

We’re all afraid to let our light shine. It’s not just you. It’s all of us.

“It’s hard to be a bright light in a dim world.” – Gary Starta

And yet?

Some of us take that first step and then the next, and suddenly we find ourselves shining in ways never imagined.

That’s how my father-in-law lived his life. Whatever he did, he gave it his all. There was no halfway commitment for him.

And so he shone.

Sometimes it was intimidating, but I don’t believe he meant it to be. He really was, like Marianne Williamson’s inspiring quote, letting himself be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous. He refused to shrink so that others would feel comfortable.

He simply woke up each day pursuing one of his passions: cooking, travelling, sailing, wine-making. And he let his light shine in each and every thing he gave his attention to.

How he lived life was inspiring, and I know he’d agree with me here.

There is no fucking someday.

There’s just today.

Now. YOU.

“Repent a day before your death – in other words, immediately – for you do not know when you will die.” – The Talmud

I have prided myself on my listening skills for a long time, but I’m not going to listen anymore.

• Not unless what you’re saying is coming from your heart.
• Not unless what you’re saying is you’re ready to take that first step.
• Not unless you’re ready to do what it fucking takes to have the life you want.

If you tell me anything else I’ll refuse to listen. I’m no longer going to listen to your stories, reasons and excuses about why you can’t have what you want in life.

It doesn’t serve you, and it sure as hell doesn’t serve me. It feels like crap and I’m done.

It’s no longer my work.

“…there was nothing under my skin but light. If you cut me I could shine.” – Billy Collins

You are meant to shine.

That’s why you’re here. But you have to trust that first cut. And that’s why I’m here.

To help you do what it takes to shine like Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.

That may mean loving you more than is comfortable or socially acceptable and kicking your ass when required.

I’m here to be a siren, leading you not to your death, but rather to a glorious starburst.

Wikipedia says a starburst must first accumulate a large supply of gas – let’s call that your passion. Then it has to have a collision with another galaxy – you guessed it, that’s my passion!

I am a collision waiting to happen.

If that statement scares you, I’m glad. I want you to be so scared you’ll take one of two possible actions:

1.  You’ll run for cover, avoiding the collision at all costs; happy with the safety of your life as it is. And I’ll watch you run off wishing you much love.

OR

2.  You’ll run towards me as fast as you can, eager for the collision! You’re ready to do the work, to crack open, letting your light shine unabashedly, brilliant and glowing the way you were intended.

Two options.

Anything else is bullshit, more of the same old, same old that gets in the way of you being your best, most radiant self.

Two options. It’s time to choose.