The Super Bowl is being played tonight. I should probably write something about that, since it is such a dang big deal. And, now that I’ve met my obligations, let’s move something else.
But. Before that game begins, there is not a person on the planet who knows how it will end. There are plenty who are guessing, or even wagering, on the finish. Yet, no one knows.
Outcomes.
That’s everything. When this minute starts, we have no idea what will happen in the following 60 seconds. We can make some pretty good guesses, but the ultimate truth is that we do not know.
A plane could fall from the sky and land on our laps. A heart attack might strike. The phone could ring, telling us we’ve just been awarded $10 million for a raffle we entered in 2008. We don’t know.
Oh life. That dicey, enthralling, amusing, petrifying, gratifying bowl of life.
The “unknown” part sometimes scares me though. When we’re in our jammy-pants, just settling in, and we put our fists into a bag of Crunchy Cheetos, realizing there are only three Cheetos left. That kind of scary. Or the kind of frightening when the phone rings, and it’s your brother, saying that Mom is in the hospital. That kind of scary. It comes in all flavors.
Most of the time, though, it is simply the actuality of time. The big unknown. We don’t know what is coming down the pike. But instead of the monster under the bed, it should look more like the Yellow Brick Road, with the Lollipop Guild dancing around, and Glenda over there, off camera, waving her wand, and smiling.
There are unlimited possibilities before us. Unlimited. It might sometime involve dreaming big, and rethinking our self-limitations. Other times, it could be something smaller, like a little whispered affirmation. I’ve said it before, but I believe in the power of our energy. I think our intentions are really our True North. When we start thinking it, the Universe lends the path, and somehow we begin in our good direction.
It might not look exactly as we pictured. But if we release our attachments to the outcomes, we might be surprised. It opens us up to the abundance of this very wide and incredible Universe. Even if we don’t know what route our good direction will go. The form it will take.
Releasing our attachment to all outcomes today. Sometimes this is hard for me to do. But when I put my mind in that space, it seems to be okay. This bowl of life.
Last night, before I went to bed, I did all of this. I put my intentions for a good night’s sleep, filled with phenomenal dreams. And. I was sleeping pretty well, and dreaming right along, when our dog Ollie started puking. Right there, on my rug, next to the bed. Not once. But about five times. At 2:30 a.m. I got up and began cleaning up the mess. She stood off to the side, and watched. And when I was done, and cleaned my own self up, I started to get back in bed.
But there she stood, with an expression on her entire body that looked like sadness, regret, suffering. I took her over to her bed, and sat with her for a few minutes. I rubbed her neck and behind her ears. I told her I loved her, and hoped she was feeling better. And then, as much a dog can do, she told me back. I could see it in her eyes.
And that, to me, was a beautiful gift from the Universe. Seeing, knowing, feeling that connection. Even though the catalyst was unfavorable, the outcome was simply beautiful.
And that my friends, in one of the many, extraordinary, super bowls of life.
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“Life is energy and, as such, it belongs to all, reaches all, and touches all.”
― Donna Goddard
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“Sometimes you wake up. Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes, when you fall, you fly.”
― Neil Gaiman, Fables & Reflections
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“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
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