If I met you on the battlefield and I asked you, “What’s the one thing we need in this world to end all wars?” what would your answer be?

If we met at the hospital, me with good insurance and you without any, struggling to find the money to pay for your son’s surgery and I asked you, “What do we need to have in our hearts and minds to do right by this child and by everybody else on the planet?” what would you say?

If I saw you on the street asking for spare change and I stopped to ask, “What would it take for you to have the courage to find your way in the world?” what would you tell me?

As I sit and write this, it occurs to me that the answer is Love.

I’m reminded of something I read a long time ago:

“Fear knocked at the door.
Love answered.
And no one was there.”

It may not always be easy. But the answer is very simple.

Love.

A couple of years ago one of my pilot friends gave me the book, “Artful Flying” by Michael Maya Charles. In it, Michael encourages pilots to develop a curiosity and awareness of themselves and their flying that transcends rote learning and brings an “artful” mindset into the cockpit.

The book was inspirational for me. It helped me view my own flying as more than radio work, flying straight and level, and landing the airplane safely. Beyond those important skills, there was an opportunity to take my flying to a higher level, to adopt an artist’s mindset in how I flew the airplane.

It occurs to me that we have the opportunity to adopt an artist’s mindset in the way we see and live our lives on a daily basis. The way we offer a creative solution to a problem at work. The smooth lane change in busy traffic, signaling and checking the mirror as we glide into the space behind the car in front of us. The fact that we’re able to do the one thing that our crying baby needs to relieve his suffering.

That’s Art. 

So while Jeff Bridges acts and T Bone Burnett writes an award-winning song, you are no less of an artist. And you have the potential to see your life and live your life in a way that creates beauty every day. But like most worthwhile endeavors, choosing to see and live life as art takes courage. We have to be willing to risk going against the tide of whining, complaining, and negativity that is pervasive in our society. We have to chart a new course that is rooted in grace and beauty. We have to strengthen our hold on the present moment and let go of attachment to outcomes.

Living artfully is a choice. It’s a mindset. 

See what you do as artistic. And see the artisan in people around you. When you approach your life as art, beauty and grace rise inside of you to the point where your life is forever changed.

Do you have the awareness to see your Artist self? I believe that you do.

Carpe Diem.

A heart beat stops. The officer plays taps on a cold winter’s day as friends and family gather to bury a loved one. The earth shakes and people are suddenly thrown into chaos. The doctor starts his conversation with, “I’m sorry to tell you this, but…”

Why is it that sometimes the only thing that can cause us to see beauty is tragedy? Why is it that sometimes we have to be forced to the edge of the cliff before we can see the majesty of the mountain? And why is it that sometimes we don’t see life as  precious until we come close to losing it? Or worse, until after we’ve lost someone precious to us.

Let me ask you this: What’s more important, what that woman said behind your back or the awesome beauty of the rainbow in front of you? The dirty dish your husband left in the sink or the orchid blooming in the kitchen window? The fact that your kid didn’t follow instructions or the feeling you got when he pressed his tiny hand into yours and told you he loved you?

For as long as life endures, we get the chance for do-overs. And while we may not always get it right, as long as we have breath, we have the opportunity to make it right. So take this moment to be courageous enough to say, “I’m sorry.” Be forgiving enough to say, “I love you.” Be patient enough to say, “That’s ok.” Be human enough to say, “We all make mistakes.”

The things in life that matter most will never be found in a bank account, kept on a scorecard, or written in a textbook. They’re what we arrived with when we began our physical journey in this world. And they can be  what we leave with as we move on to our next adventure: Love. Grace. Peace. Abundance. Kindness. Beauty.

This is the choice. This is the moment.

After watching his barn burn to the ground, 17th Century samurai and poet Mizuta Masahide wrote the following haiku: 

Barn’s burnt down
now
I can see the moon

His quote came to me, as most God-winks do, at a time when I was struggling to see the half-full glass in front of me. Moving my life in a new direction, sometimes it was easier to see the obstacles in front of me than the opportunities on the other side. But Masahide’s quote resonated so strongly because it reminded me that even in the midst of what I perceived as disastrous, there was opportunity on the other side of every challenge I faced. And there was beauty and grace in the realization of that truth. 

What’s needed most in challenging times is the courage to look for beauty and meaning amidst the rubble. It’s easy to give up, to tell ourselves that what’s happened means the end of our dreams. But that attitude is not worthy of us and our purpose for being on this planet. Within every challenge are the seeds of greatness, just waiting to sprout.

Maybe you’ve watched as your barn burned to the ground. Perhaps life is not moving in the direction you had planned. Maybe you’ve been unwilling to see anything but the rubble.

My message to you is this: Look Up. See the beauty and magic of your life. Know that you arrived on this planet with all of the courage and faith you need to turn tragedy into triumph.

See the moon.

This morning I find myself at the intersection of what I want to do and what I need to do. What I need to do is the work that pays my bills, at least for the near future. And what I want to do is the work of my soul, the work that’s not really work but more my passion come-alive.

I imagine that I’m like a lot of people at a crossroad in life. We begin our adult journey in pursuit of a buck, trying to pay the bills and find that elusive feeling of stability. And then hopefully somewhere along the way, we wake up and discover that the road less traveled is more interesting and life-affirming than the road unraveled.

So as I sit here this morning, I’m curious about your clarion call to action. What will it take to move you in the direction of your dreams? Is it courage? Money? A clear vision? Mortality?  Something else? 

A sense of my own mortality seems to work for me. Last week a friend passed away at the age of 76. Bill had heart transplant surgery not long ago. And in a television interview he mentioned that his doctors told him that the surgery had probably bought him another ten or fifteen years of life. I watched that interview last week, a couple of days after my friend’s death and less than two years after the surgery.

So my questions to you are these: Are there things you want to achieve in your life? Is there work left to do? What will it take for you to move through the intersection, away from need and toward a life of passion, intention, gratitude, and grace?

Whatever your answers, remember this: You have exceptional gifts. Use them.

Indications of the impermanence of life are all around us. Some signs are small, like a rose that is vibrant and beautiful one day and then gone the next. And some signs are large, like when a friend or beloved family member passes away. But as I sit here this morning thinking about life, I’m reminded of my belief that life is not about what we own but about what we experience.

The concept of ownership, be it a house, a car, or any other “thing” is false. The impermanence of life makes this a fact. All that we are, for whatever we possess, are temporary custodians. Once we leave this earth, whatever we have will be passed on to the next person to use and maintain for as long as they remain earth-bound.

So where does that leave us? It leaves us with our memories and the opportunity to experience life in so many new and exciting ways, if we’re willing to open ourselves to them. Go out with your friends and make snow angels. And please take pictures. Call your significant other at work and say, “Honey, I’m picking you up this afternoon for a weekend getaway.” Enroll in the cooking class you’ve always wanted to take. Volunteer to work in Africa for two weeks to help with a project to eliminate malaria. Become a Big Brother or a Big Sister.

My point is this: Go out and do. Try new things. Take a chance. Create opportunities to be swept away in the beauty and joy of life. Because I feel confident in saying that in those last precious moments before you move from this life to your next adventure, you won’t be thinking about your mortgage. You’ll be thinking about snow angels.

Take ownership of the one thing you can truly own:

Your Life

This morning one of my Facebook friends posted a message for all to see, writing about a billboard that was recently put up in her town by a group of small business owners. The ad was a picture of George W. Bush with the question, “Miss me yet?” Not being a fan of Barack Obama, her comment was, “How interesting!!!”

Politics aside, I think there’s a larger point here. It occurs to me that we have turned insults and inuendo into an art form. It seems as though in order for us to feel good about ourselves we have to say bad things about other people. And we choose to associate ourselves with organizations hell-bent on widening the gulf between where “we” are and where “they” are on issues that affect our daily lives.

Please take a moment to consider the following:

The people you insult and dismiss today are the same people who are going to rush into the burning house to save your family tonight when the fire breaks out. When you lose your job, the person who hires you will be the same person you called an idiot last week because you didn’t like what she said in a newspaper interview. The Muslim man you call a terrorist, not because you have inside information but because he “dresses funny and wears a beard” will be the same man who sells your family food from his grocery store. The politician you call a socialist will be in his hometown this weekend volunteering at a homeless shelter. The person you call a racist tomorrow, without any proof of your claim, will be the person that donates blood to help save your daughter’s life after she’s hit riding her bike.

Soren Kierkegaard said, “Once you label me you negate me!” And so we call someone a name, dismiss him or her as insignificant and ignorant, and then move on with our day, as if our thoughts and words have no real impact. We call the president a marxist and then go make a sandwich for our son. We go to lunch and talk with our friends about the disgusting dress our coworker wore that made her look like a tramp! And then we go back to work and fill out the report for the next day’s meeting. We go to a rally on Saturday to spew venom about our fellow citizens and then go out with our family for ice cream, getting home early so that we get some rest before going to church the next day to ask for forgiveness for our sins.

This has got to stop! Divisiveness, anger, cruelty and insults are not a game that we can play without repercussions to our country and to our lives! There is no victory in using shame as a weapon! Calling people names does not bring us honor! There is no consolation in contempt!

Do you remember what happened in the aftermath of 9/11 when we all came together as one people, one America?

That’s the energy and spirit we need going forward.

This morning I watched one of my favorite programs, CBS Sunday morning. Commentator Mo Rocca did a story on the play, “Our Town” and at the end of the piece he wanted to find out if the play was relevant for young people today. So Mo asked four people in their early 20’s to join him at a performance. At the end of the play, two of the four people were moved to tears.

In the interview that followed, I was struck by one young man’s response to Mo. This wise old man of about 24 said the following: “Take a minute to look up at the sky and see how blue it is, and realize that it’s not so bad after all,” to which Mo posed the question: “Is there enough in a sunny day, an ordinary day, to fill the need for stimulation?” The young man answered, “The question isn’t, Is there enough? The question is, Are you looking up?”

Everyday we make choices about the lives we live. Some of the choices are conscious and some are not. But it occurs to me that in order to live lives of meaning and purpose, we have to do a better job of tuning out the negative energy around us. We get worked up when politicians, bent on staying in power and in front of the camera, sling accusations about each other so that they can win elections. And can there be a worse way to begin and end each day than watching the local news, filled with violence and corruption?

These are just a couple of examples. But my point is that every moment is a moment we won’t get back! Do we want to spend those moments feeling bad or feeling good?Paraphrasing a line in “Our Town,” one of the character says in frustration, “You’re 21 and you make a decision and then you wake up and you’re 70.” 

So the question is, “What do we do with our precious moments?”

I vote that we look up and see the blue sky. What’s your vote?

Yesterday on my way home from Bridgewater, I got to thinking about my life and my place in the world. The word purpose came to mind and I immediately considered the way I make my living and how so many of us do jobs with no real nod to the work we arrived on this planet to do. It occurs to me that, for most of us, we just put our heads down and plough through whatever it is that we have to do to pay the mortgage, feed the family, pay the cable bill, etc. And while there is certainly honor in doing that, I wonder if, at the end of our life-journey, we’ll look back on our time here and feel fulfilled.

In Tolstoy’s book, “The Death of Ivan Ilyich,” Ivan, on his deathbed, says to his wife, ”What if my whole life has been wrong?” This morning I’m thinking about those words and my ride in the car yesterday, and the fact that it takes so much courage to step out on faith to discover the work and the purpose of our lives. It doesn’t matter if we’re unemployed, employed, or retired. It’s not important if we’re 9 or 90. What is important is that we take a moment to stop and consider where we are and where we feel called to go.

My friends Dave and Sarah were the parents of three beautiful, healthy kids. And like most folks with three young kids and full-time jobs, they lived at a fairly frenetic pace most of the time. And also like most folks, at some point they lost touch with each other and their marriage suffered. One day Sarah found out that they were expecting their fourth child. The pregnancy went along relatively normally, until one day during a test they found out that their child, Matthew, was suffering from a genetic condition that meant he would die not long after being born. As you can imagine, Dave and Sarah were crushed!

But the parents-to-be became unified. They decided that when their son arrived, they would love him and enjoy whatever time they had with him. And when Matthew greeted the world for the first time, his parents rejoiced in his birth. The whole family showered him with love, knowing that their time with Matthew was short. And six months later when Matthew died, I had the honor of being at a ceremony celebrating Matthew’s life. After the service, Dave and I talked about their son’s short life and what he had  meant to them. Dave said that as sad as they were that Matthew had died, they believed that Matthew had lived out his purpose. I asked him to explain.

Dave told me that before Matthew’s birth, he and his wife had been really struggling with their marriage and that they’d begun to take each other for granted. But in dealing with the sadness of the circumstances surrounding what would be their son’s short life, thay had rediscovered their love for each other and had grown closer together than they’d been since they were first married. And they believed that Matthew had arrived here with the purpose of helping them reunite and find love for each other again. So that once Matthew had completed his purpose, he went home to be with God.

The cynic in us can look at such a sentiment and say that these were two grieving parents just trying to find some comfort to hold onto in the loss of their son. But I think that the message is much bigger. For me, Matthew’s life was a reminder that we all have a purpose that needs to be fulfilled, if we are to live lives of meaning.

In the moment when we slip from this world into our next adventure, wouldn’t it be an amazing feeling to leave less like Ivan and more like Matthew? And the beautiful thing about it is that we can begin right now to reassess, and move our lives courageously in the direction of our purpose.

What are you here to do with your life? If you know the answer then do it. If you don’t know the answer, it is time to ask yourself the question!

Carpe Diem!

This morning mom called to tell me that she’d emailed me a copy of one of her latest iPhone artistic endeavors. She’s an amazingly talented artist who is extremely passionate about the beauty she creates. So I get a kick out of seeing her work. But what struck me as funny was her request that, after opening the email, I call her back to encourage her to take some time away from her art so that she would have time to do the laundry.

After opening her email and seeing the beauty of her creation, I called and told her that the art she was creating was an argument against doing the laundry. Besides, I told her, I could not imagine that on my deathbed, surrounded by my loved ones, I would utter the phrase, “I wish I’d had more time to do my laundry.” We had a good laugh and she went back to painting.

It’s likely true that the last words a dying person says on their deathbed will not be, “I wish I had spent more time at the office.” So with that in mind, how can we use a variation of that phrase to determine whether or not we’re living our best lives? Think about your life, your stresses and pressures. Think about where you’re currently living and your relationships. Consider the work you do for a living.

Now imagine, if you can, that you’re lying on your deathbed, surrounded by friends and family. And as you make the transition from this life to your next adventure, you utter one last thing to the people around you:

“I wish I had spent more time…

…at the office doing work that didn’t feed my soul.
…being mad at my mom for what she said to me.
…living in a place I didn’t enjoy.
…being angry with my kids.

My point is this: Life is short! Whether it’s 20 months or 120 years, in the broad scheme of things it’s a blip on the radar screen of life. But we live as though we’ll live forever and always have the opportunity to change and grow. We talk about all of the things we’re going to do

…this afternoon.
…next week.
…when we retire.
…when she apologizes.

And then life intervenes and you’re lying on that bed wishing you had spent more time …

…hugging your kids
…planting your garden
…painting
…doing work you’re passionate about
…taking that cruise

We get one shot at this life! Live it in a way so that at the end of it you can say

“I have no regrets. My life has been all that I wanted it to be.”

Carpe Diem