To My Magnificent Agents, Staff and Friends:
I came across a saying this week that caught my eye and stayed with me all week. It’s attribution is that it is a Native American saying given during a ritual ceremony celebrating a young man’s initiation into manhood. It goes like this:
You will see a great chasm. Jump.
It is not as wide as you think.”
I can think of a number of “take aways” that these words might impart. For me, it is a reminder of the power we all possess within ourselves; the power of one.
Joseph Campbell, the author of The Power of Myth and Myths to Live By, writes often about the our singular capacity to determine the pathway our lives take. Here is one of my favorite of his maxims:
If you do follow your bliss,
you put yourself on a kind of track
that has been there all the while waiting for you,
and the life you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
When you can see that,
you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.
I say, follow your bliss and don’t be afraid,
and doors will open
where you didn’t know they were going to be.
If you follow your bliss,
doors will open for you that wouldn’t have opened for anyone else.”
It’s not just about the power that a positive attitude brings to our lives, it’s about our commitment to a lofty, blissful and purposeful life goal and it’s about the confidence that we have in our power to shape it in spite of the chasms of distractions, temptations, and obstacles that we all encounter along our way. It is also about confidence in our ability to steer ourselves back to our appointed and desired path, even if we are knocked from it. It begins and ends with our acknowledgement and belief in the power within us. Clearly there are others that we encounter in our journey that we treasure and treasure us, and who provide the meaning, love, and support that is integral to our reaching our ultimate destination. It is impossible to comprehend a blissful life being one wherein we are the only player. But each of us captains our own ship and we must set the course and navigate the changing water on which we sail. Each of us has the capacity and power to take our ship anywhere we desire. Believe in that power – the power of one!
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest.
One bird can herald spring.
One smile can begin a friendship.
One handclasp can lift a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea.
One word can frame the goal.
One vote can change a nation.
One sunbeam can light a room.
One candle can wipe out darkness.
One laugh can conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey.
One word must start each prayer.
One hope can raise our spirits.
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak with wisdom.
One heart can know what’s true.
One life can make a difference.
You see, it’s up to you!
Have an AWE-full weekend!
Bill