Earlier this week the world lost a beautiful soul. Yes Kobe Bryant died, a person who touched many lives in his years on this earth. So did a loving mother, a dedicated son, a caring brother, beloved grandparent, aspirational sister. People who meant much to their families, friends, communities, and all those around them. Not all of these people died in a helicopter crash. Not all of these died people died in such a high profile way. But the loss of each and every person will be felt for years to come.
I cannot say for certain what happens when a person dies, nobody can. I am Christian, so I entrust this to God and give it over into His hands. Whatever our beliefs, we only have one chance to live this life. Every interaction we have is an opportunity to leave a positive impression and take one with us from the person that is gifting us some of their time. Sometimes this is difficult as we have had a demanding day, physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. It can seem like we are forcing an attitude which is not a true representation of who we are at that time.
None of this will matter when we are on our death bed thinking back on how we lived. Walking to the supermarket, going on a road trip to visit our grandparents, travelling overseas for work, settling in for a good night’s sleep, they could all be the last thing we do regardless of our age or stage in life. Do our darndest to be present for every experience no matter how big or small.
Over the past week I have been struggling, feeling incredibly flat, especially spiritually. This leads to me spending time thinking far into the past or future but doing very little. The cycle perpetuates when I think on the time I’ve wasted watching YouTube for an extending period, or idly scrolling through Facebook. It is too easy to do, so I have been and must continue to actively work at reducing the time I spend doing these things. Right now this requires time and effort but an amazing thing has been happening. When I fall into writing one of my books, playing or recording music, writing a cover letter for a job, or hunting for a new flat, I feel the betterment in my life because of it. Even knowing this, some days I fail to push through the resistance and make the right choice.
I know the right choice. When it comes to almost any decision we make, our being knows the right choice. Our mind might struggle to let us know. We may want one particular choice but we /know/ the right choice. All we can do is get better at making the right choice, and making it more quickly – before procrastination and self sabotage of our jerk-brain kicks in. The level of influence these will have is different for everyone, and different at different times in our lives. But we can all get better at discerning the right choice and making it as soon as we know.
Choose kindness. Share love. Empower change and encourage others to do the same, to believe we will make a difference. Be as committed to your craft as Kobe Bryant was, including how inspirational he was and still is. Grieve loss, but also celebrate beautiful lives lived. Celebrate beautiful lives being lived now. Yours included.
Be good, keep good, and sleep good, dear readers. Peace.
Hard lines, heavy times, and handblocks 