How Alive Am I Willing To Be?

How Alive Am I Willing To Be?

Hanging on the wall above my desk is a wax art piece.  The colors are tan, brown and black.  In the center of the piece is the figure of a human.  Growing from the head is a tall branch.  Extending from the feet is the same branch only it is growing downward.  To the left of the figure are the words "How Alive Am I" and on the right of the figure is the rest of the question"Willing To Be?"

How alive am I willing to be?  Everytime I sit down to check emails or bank statements or work on some piece of writing, I read the words on that piece of art.  I purchased it from the artist at an art fair on the Oregon Coast in 2006.  Her description of it is mixed media on topographical map, wax.

Since I am writing this, I am alive.  So are you.  We are breathing, living beings.  Our hearts are beating.  Blood is rushing through our bodies.  Our lungs are doing their work.  Our brain is busy putting things into categories so we can make sense of our world.  We are making plans for tomorrow and next week and next month.  Yes, we are alive.

The question asked by the artist is quite different from our physical being.  This question moves us beyond the everyday activities of life.  It asks us HOW alive we are.  Are we a little alive or a bit alive or a lot alive?  Do we embrace life with gusto?  Do we move through our days with a sense of adventure waiting to see what is around the next moment?  Or do we spend our days observing others as they live out their lives?  It also asks us about our willingness to embrace life.  Are we willing to take a chance?  If we have a secret dream, are we willing to take steps toward that dream?  Are we willing to forgive others thus freeing ourselves to be more alive?  Are we making room in our hearts for new friends?  Do we take time each day to open ourselves to the beauty that surrounds us?  Can we hear that still, small voice that is knocking on our hearts asking us to move in a new direction?  Do we want to hear that voice?  Or is the only voice we hear our own?

That group of seven words asks a powerful question.  For me the key word is willling.   In other words, it is our choice as to how alive we want to be.  We get to make the decisions about what our life will look like.  If we take the time to examine our life and find areas that are less than alive, we get to change that.  That is, if we want to.  We can move from feeling a deadness in spirit to experiencing a joyous spirit.  Usually that comes when we think of others more than we think of ourselves.  This is true for me.  When I am less than alive, it is always because I am focusing on me.  Once I recognize what is happening, I am able to move beyond the small world of me and into the gigantic world of others.  The joy of being returns to my soul and spirit.  It is a lesson learned over and over.

How alive am I willing to be?  I want to be like the figure in the piece of art.  That means I want to be rooted in those values that are important in my life, and I want to be reaching upward for newness.  Always growing.  Always open to new ideas and people.  Always searching for a new truth or idea to push my thinking.  Loving the moments spent with friends both old and new.  I want to be willing to listen without judgement.  To understand that we all walk our own walk.  None of us are carbon copies.  I cannot tell you how to live your life.  I can only be willing to walk a few steps with you when you need or want my company.

I know how alive I am willing to be.  Do you?