WILDLY FREE ELDER
The Artistry of Aging
Day 7: Elder Muse – Embracing Moments
Finishing a very unusual book of fiction, The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, I was left with many things to ponder and reflect on. One of those was an old Zen poem that one of the characters in the story found.
“Great is the matter of Birth and Death. Life is transient. Time will not wait. Wake up! Wake up! Do not waste a moment.”
As I took in the poem I realized that instead of expanding awareness in that moment it felt like a spiritual admonishment of sorts. Glancing over at the plant stand in my bedroom I spied a bumper sticker that I keep there which says “Don’t Postpone Joy”.
The use of “do not” makes me feel a little like a child that is being told to please wake up and listen or tend to the moment more fully. That I simply wasn’t adhering to the precepts for Conscious Life 101, especially as a supposedly wiser elder.
“You are walking this life, make sure that you leave beautiful steps behind.”
Morné Pretorius
Yet, It is indeed in the moments that life happens. Change and challenge happens. It is our choice how we perceive those moments and changes…and what we do with them.
In the Green Renaissance short film below, featuring Morné Pretorius,. a young man speaks with the wisdom of an elder. Through a serious accident he learned a key to fully embodied living….
“Change is like a river: nothing stays the same, because life as we know it can change in an instant. We never know what’s around the bend and we can’t control everything in life. As much as you prepare and plan, some things still won’t go your way. So why do we keep expecting them too?
When you learn how to embrace change, you’ll find that the uncertainty of life feels a little less scary. Live in the moment, cherish the people we love, and appreciate what’s happening right now. And when we do that, life becomes an unexpected adventure, filled with unimaginable joy. “
Filmed in Heidelberg, South Africa by Green Renaissance
Featuring Morné Pretorius.
ABOUT ELDER MUSE – 31-DAYS IN DECEMBER, 2022
Taking responsibility for our own journey is at times incredibly challenging. For those of you who read this blog regularly you may have noticed there was only one blog post published from September-November.
I was on a journey of exploration and discovery on how it felt to work a temporary part time mainstream job 20-hours/week, as well as continue on with my own private house/pet sitting business at the same time. It seemed my writing and creativity went into a hibernation of sorts.
I became acutely aware of what is most important to me at this precious elder time of life..and what is not. What opens me to wholeness, creativity, compassion, beauty, peace of mind and love….and what shuts me down into scarcity and contraction in the midst, of “busyness”. .
From this short 3-month experience the “elder muse” made an appearance and patiently waited to reveal a plan to re-engage with creative artistry when the timing was right. Over the next 31 days you will receive a daily Elder Muse blog post accessed from the unfolding of the day – not planned or scheduled.
I have no idea what will arise…..but then do we really know ahead of time what our moment to moment daily experience will be? We are only asked to pay attention.
Case in point – Just now I almost missed this sunrise extravaganza while focused on the words instead of the ever transitioning beauty emerging right out the window…….
I appreciate that you will be along with me for this journey. Please feel free to make comments or add your own insights and humor…..
In Gratitude & Appreciation!
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DECEMBER 2022: ELDER MUSE BLOG POSTS: https://wildlyfreeelder.com/2022/12/