Okay, so we all love our traditions and organizations and practices and methods and habits and rituals. We love our yoga, tai chi, meditation, running, swimming, hiking, Christianity, Buddhism (and every other known formal religion), dancing, singing, writing and creating on any and all levels, in all of their many variations. And whatever else you'd like to fondly throw in there.
Here's a thought that I find myself coming back to all the time: At some point, whether it was last week, last year, or a thousand years ago -- someone made it up! A person, just like you and me, 'made up' the information or practice or belief system or creative process. (Sorry if this sounds childlike and simplistic! But I guess it is!) Yes, this information likely came to them during a highly inspired time. (Or maybe not, maybe they were just minding their own business, and ... boom!) Still, is there any reason to think that we ourselves cannot listen to our tiny little (possibly) neglected Inner Voices and follow our own instincts, too?
I love habits and practices. I enthusiastically practice yoga, tai chi, and am a reflexologist. All of those require an attention to detail, some level of study, and a desire to follow the prescribed form. And still, I always think, kind of excitedly, "Wow, someone just MADE THIS UP!" This thought can be applied to anything, from religion to exercise to art to music to ... fill in the blank.
What does this mean (and why on earth does it matter)? For one thing, I think that the practices developed by others are, on a deep level, for THEM, and are perfect for THEM -- and it may also be perfect for you, and often is ... but perhaps not. In which case, is it not absolutely fine to just take the parts that suit you and assimilate them into the wonderful, unique thing that is Your Life, and move forward? And sometimes, maybe when the moon is full and you've eaten too much chocolate, sometimes you might even go so far as to Make Up Your Own Stuff? From music to meditating, from cooking to Christianity, from hiking to haiku -- what if we all gave some air time to our tiny little (possibly) neglected Inner Voices, and just Made It Up -- a habit, a practice, a life system, a creative process, big or small -- for our own pleasure and benefit? And then maybe there just might come the perfect time to share Your Thing That You Made Up with someone else. And it might be perfect for them, too -- or it might just plant a seed of an idea, and they can take what they like and make up their own stuff. Hmmmm. I like the sound of this.
Please note! For those of you who are still dying to hear me speak about meditation and all this good stuff, I've been happily rescheduled for Happiness Club on Wed. Oct. 26th at 7 pm, at the Scranton Library in Madison. See you there!!
Love from the hammock (with a fleece blankie),
MJ
