Life – Ease In To It

 

Leap, and the net will appear.

But what if you are afraid of heights? What if just getting to the ledge brings on intense, debilitating fear that leaves you frozen in place.

Why are we given the perception that a major effort is required in order to live our dreams. Why can’t we just ease, nice a gentle into life?

Why can’t we slowly shift our bodies over the cliff edge and scooch on our ass down the rock face, grabbing roots or outcroppings for leverage as we descend down to firmer ground. Why do we have to launch ourselves out into thin air with nothing more than a prayer and some bolstered up faith that the universe has our back and will most assuredly catch us in its safety net of magic?

Sure there are folks out there that operate this way; those adrenaline junkies who live life perpetually on the razor’s edge of excitement. Not me.

I’ll bet a lot of us feel this way. Yes, we want to follow our dreams. Yes, we want to have adventure and feel excited for life, but at a much lower altitude.

And so for the rest of us, life is meant to be eased into. We have no desire to leap, we’d rather lope. A brisk stroll is preferable to a run for folks like me and hey, we’ll still arrive at our desired destination – eventually, but the trip would have been much more enjoyable.

Life is not a race. Life is meant to be lived. So what if it takes you two years instead on one to reach your goal. So what if you are not where you had hoped you would be at this stage of your life. If you obsess that you are not where you want to be instead of enjoying where you are in this moment, will you really enjoy yourself when you actually do arrive at the finish line?

Life is meant to be savoured. Like fine wine, it is meant to be sipped so you can enjoy the finer elements and undertones of its flavour. Life should be more like an elegant dining experience, each course appreciated for its presentation, its textures, its flavours.

Easing into life is about being fully present and in the moment. Just focus on your next step and don’t worry about what lays ahead. You may find that the path is blocked further down the road and you will have wasted all your energy worrying about something that was never meant to be.

The Grimm’s fairytale, The Tortoise And The Hare, is a classic analogy for easing into life. “Slow and steady wins the race”, that was the tortoise’s motto. He started out slowly and then found a comfortable pace to run (walk) the race against the hare, enjoying the journey along the way. The hare was driven to win and soon used up his energy and had to stop and rest. Not only did he not win, but the race was a blur to him as well.

We are currently living in a hare world. We do not take time to enjoy our lives, there is always something else we need to be doing, another distraction that propels us ever forward. But whether we move at the life appreciating pace of the tortoise or the breakneck speed of the hare, the finish line does not move. It is only the enjoyment of the journey that changes and that is all we do have control of.

Easing into life is a philosophy. Focus on each step you take. Stroll into your future, don’t leap. Purposely pick your way through the obstacles as you progress. Your footing will be sure and the chances of success will increase with every step.

Remember, it was the tortoise who won the race and not one leap was involved!

And one more curious fact to add to all of this. The average life span of a hare is 5-7 years while a tortoise can live up to 150 years. Could it be that the secret to the tortoise’s longevity is because the species has learned, over millennia, to ease slowly in to it, knowing that their long life is a journey and not a race?