I think this video is good background music for my answer...
Because in many regards, the answer is about the Long Run...
Her post and questions struck a chord with me... these are things I have often asked of myself and others... but ultimately, each of us have to learn the answer for ourselves...
Now, I'm thinking I wanna see the 'Wizard of Oz' movie
THIS Dorothy was in!!!
Much like Dorothy in the 'Wizard of Oz'... when at the end of the movie, she asks questions of Glinda... the Good Witch of the North... and Glinda tells Dorothy that she's had everything she needed the entire time... to make it back to Kansas... and it was the Ruby Slippers... she had the answers the entire time... and when The Scarecrow asks why didn't Glinda tell her earlier, Glinda gives what I thought was the best answer ever...
Much like Dorothy in the 'Wizard of Oz'... when at the end of the movie, she asks questions of Glinda... the Good Witch of the North... and Glinda tells Dorothy that she's had everything she needed the entire time... to make it back to Kansas... and it was the Ruby Slippers... she had the answers the entire time... and when The Scarecrow asks why didn't Glinda tell her earlier, Glinda gives what I thought was the best answer ever...
"She would have never believed me... she had to learn it for herself..."
Do you know that in the novel, the shoes are actually Silver?
Do you know that 'The Wizard of Oz' is believed to have been based on monetary policy of that time?
So... the first advice that I would give someone who is asking any question about anything in Life... would be to explore yourself... because more than likely you already do know the answer... and when we seek these answers, we are simply looking for affirmation for what we think or feel...
So... the first advice that I would give someone who is asking any question about anything in Life... would be to explore yourself... because more than likely you already do know the answer... and when we seek these answers, we are simply looking for affirmation for what we think or feel...
However, I think Senorita was looking for affirmation about the comment about Life beginning at age 30...
I am not going to get into the mumbo jumbo thing about when Life starts... but who we are at any point in our Life is the accumulation of everything we have DONE to that point in our Lives... I think in that sense, our Lives really begin when we become aware of who we are... what we are... and how we got to where we are...
Joan @ "Anything Fits A Naked Man" has a totally FANTASTIC post here... She does this TOTALLY great thing by writing a letter from her 'current self' to her 'younger self'... to warn her of the pitfalls ahead... and yet of the great happiness that lies ahead for her... I think everyone should write a similar letter to themselves... I think it might help all of us with where we are at that point in time... that no matter what bad happened in our pasts... we still have a great future ahead...
Dear Senorita... you are 29... by the time I was 29, I was married for 7 years and had a darling 4-year old... and at this point in my 27th year, I knew that my Mother was dying... I was so devastated... and Mom did die... and I survived that loss...
You say that if you were to die today, you would feel disappointed... can you list out for yourself why you would feel this way?
You've recently jumped out of a perfectly good airplane... You've been to Barcelona... just those two things alone make me immensely JEALOUS of you!!!
Example of Gaudi's architectural style in Barcelona
Cyndi tells the contestant that her Life didn't start until she was 30...
I didn't get my 'Awareness' about Life until I turned 40... at 40, EVERYTHING started making sense to me... EVERYTHING...
In class one day, I was asking students if they could re-live a year of their lives, which one would they relive... and each had a year and a great reason... and then one of the students turned the question back on me... and in fairness I had to answer... and I think my answer stunned them...
... because the answer I gave them reflected on years that lie ahead of them... I told them that I would re-live my 40's in a heart beat... and that they had to understand that right in the middle of them, was the death of my Dad, the loss of my family (deep rifts between brothers and sisters... some that would never heal)... and possibly the worst thing that ever happened to me... my divorce... yet... I would re-live them readily...
I was so confident of who I was... of who I had become... I no longer became a "passenger"on that "Journey of Life"... but I think I became proactive in that Life's journey... That made such a difference...
There are many things over which I have control... and many things over which I don't have control... I never ever thought that I would still be single this long after my divorce... I can't make someone love me... it just happens... so in that regard I will have to be patient...
... But... I don't feel alone... I have friends... I have things I want to do... things I need to do... and those all will happen... whether or not I have someone with me or not...
... There have been things that haven't gone my way... but I haven't let that jade my Life in the Long Run...
My advice to you... Adore your 30's... they can be what you want them to be... I think emotionally and spiritually, you are so far ahead of where I was when I was 30... your 30's can be my 40's...
Your commenter, Ily, echoes what I have said... you have great advice in your comments section of your post...
I envy you... you are asking these questions at the right time... continue to ask them... always... sometimes you will see that the answers to those questions will change... because WE change over our Lifetimes...
Feel free to add/agree/disagree with what I've said... Answers are everywhere...
Namaste...
~shoes~
How apropos! I turn 30 this year and was talking with my husband this morning about what I wanted to do; rather where I wanted to be ("I refuse to wake up in a place ending in 'Carolina' on my birthday. Make it so.")
ReplyDeleteAs I wrote on my 29th birthday, my 20s were "lived in the superlative". I'm excited about my 30s. And beyond.
This was truly wonderful and even choked me up a little. Thank you for sharing. I'm quite lucky to have found your blog.
Wow, thank you for answering my question !
ReplyDeleteExcellent, excellent post and I almost teared up reading. It means a lot that you took the time to write the post.
I will have to go back and read it again and answer that questions you asked.
Thank you again !
What a fantastic, well-written, insightful post, Shoes! I can't tell you how touched I am that you mentioned my recent entry.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Senorita is WAY ahead of the game to be asking these questions so early in her young life, I never would have thought to do so at her age!
You, officially, just made my day! Thanks!
Carpe Diem dears....life is waaay too short!!
ReplyDeleteShoes, way a beautiful heart you have.
Three words.
ReplyDeleteVery well written.
Keep popping out posts like this, and I have a feeling your hives will be no more!
So I had time to think about this post. Here is why I would be disappointed if my life ended.
ReplyDeleteAll I've really wanted is success in my career and love and my whole life it's been a constant uphill battle and everything has been a total flop.
I just got a new job in a law firm. It's entry level, when I have the educational background for a more senior position, but this is a start.
As for my love life, I have never really had a relationship where I was in love. Everything has been a constant uphill battle and men are mean and heartless for the most part, or at least for what I've known. Everything has pretty much blown up in my face.
I just don't want my life to end on this note. I want to know what it feels like to have a wonderful career and what it's like to love someone, since I feel like my life is void of success and love. This can't be it.
Oh man this is too heavy for me. We're on our way to a funeral in an hour.
ReplyDeleteThat was a great answer!
ReplyDeleteWow! I've often wondered what years I'd relive if I had the opportunity and at first I said 35 because that seemed like such a perfect age to be. You are not a young kid and you are not old by society's standards. But after reading your post I think I want to go back to when I was 25. I had both my parents and life was easy for me then. I miss then terribly. The only stipulation would be that I have the same knowledge that I have now so that I don't make some of the same stupid mistakes I did in my 20's.
ReplyDelete@ Jessica... thank you for your kind words... you sound a great deal like Senorita in that you seem to have a great awareness about you NOW... I didn't have that when I was in my 20's or 30's... but I did find it and that is what's important... I so hope you don't wake up on your 30th birthday in a state ending in 'Carolina'... :o)
ReplyDelete@ Senorita... you are so welcome...
@ Joan @ 'Anything Fits...' In my opinion, YOU wrote the great post... I think about the letter that I would write myself all of the time now... and maybe I should write it... to release the anxieties that I still have that I associate with my past... I thank YOU... :-)
@ Southern Girl... thank YOU for your compliment... :-)
@ Shelly... thank you... for what it's worth, the hives kicked my butt this weekend... :-(
But... its ok... It was a great weekend...
@ Senorita... Hmmm... thank you for your comments... I've some thoughts to share with you about that... maybe another post... or maybe an email... still, I think you are heading in such a wonderful direction... I envy you...
@ Jen Jen... oh no... I'm so sorry about having to attend a funeral... One always hears that funerals are supposed to be a celebration of the Life of the deceased... but I yet to see them that way... :-(
@ Darn Girl... Thank you... I trust all is going well for YOU!!! :-)
@ Tee... Like you, I SO miss my parents... so much...the time that has passed since they each died hasn't eased the hurt that much...
I don't think though.. that if we were allowed to go back to an earlier time in our Lives... that we would be allowed to take that knowledge with us... it would be nice though...
@ o0625TaylorJ_Duraz & IdellA231_Fecteau1... I totally AGREE!!!! ;-)
~shoes~