For the past 9 months, I’ve been leading the No Regrets course, where we lived every moment as if it were our last. Each month we covered different topics, like letting go of things that no longer serve us (yes, “stuff,” but also resentments and old stories), making bucket lists of what our final months could look like, and even what to do with our wills. This month is our final month, and we are focused on the joy of living during the time we DO have here.
The important lesson to integrate from all that is that we don’t remember our inevitable death and lack of control around it to get all serious and sad. We do it to remember how precious this life is so we can remember what really matters, what’s important, and live all the time we DO have here fully.
I want to share a poem by the Persian mystic, Hafez:
I Sometimes Forget That I Was Created For Joy
I sometimes forget
that I was created for Joy.
My mind is too busy.
My Heart is too heavy
for me to remember
that I have been
called to dance
the Sacred dance of life.
I was created to smile
To Love
To be lifted up
And to lift others up.
O’ Sacred One
Untangle my feet
from all that ensnares.
Free my soul.
That we might
Dance
and that our dancing
might be contagious.
Many of us out there can say we get the concept that we’re going to die and we don’t know when. But where I think that we still aren’t totally bought into it is the idea that by “we don’t know when,” it’s not just maybe 5 or maybe 10 years from now. We like to think the inevitably is still very far away.
But it might be tonight. Or tomorrow.
Not just for us, but for those we love and care for, too.
If we all really GOT that our death could happen at any time, how would that change us?
I know we spend a lot less time on things that don’t really matter and a whole lot more time on things like love and joy.
So this week I want to open this invitation to you:
Please, don’t forget – especially during these times – that you were made for joy.
And don’t forget that joy gives us resilience. Resilience for these times that we really need right now.
I want to invite you to explore and learn the things that bring you joy and fill your cup.Start to know these things.
AND start to notice joy, too. Even the little things that you may not think of as “full blown joy.” Those moments between despair and joy. The short moments of laughter, an act kf kindness,a glimmer of hope, tender care.
I want to add the ending to the poem again, here:
O’ Sacred One
Untangle my feet
from all that ensnares.
Free my soul.
That we might
Dance
and that our dancing
might be contagious.
May your own heart’s dancing be contagious, rebel one. We need that during these times.
In this episode, you will learn:
// Why living each day as if it were our last can lead to JOY
// Reminders for how to find joy in times of challenge
// How joy can help us cultivate resilience
Resources:
// Episode 93: Wake the F*ck Up
// Episode 156: Savoring – When Suffering Is Not Present
// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics.
// Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!
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