Ashes to Ashes

To many who may read this and to the vastly greater number who won't, this might seem a day of little or no significance a mid-summer day in July perhaps in many ways seemingly no different than the same day one year previous or to yesterday. But if one begins to consider that because it is July, doesn't necessarily make it mid-summer in some parts of the world.  Even those regions for whom the season is summer are experiencing any number of things that each person living in those regions categorizes as being part of what they associate with the season of summer or they are not. So now what becomes apparent is we are talking about perspective which gives rise to a entirely different experience for each, though they might be seemingly standing and observing the same event. So when I say that today is in fact an auspicious occasion marked by both the creation of a blog and it's very first post I really only can state that from my personal experience. It remains true that it is the first time I have both created a blog and written it's content - which in the spectrum of life experience called Rob is a highly significant event - there have been fifty plus years (this time around) of varied circumstances, choices and outcomes that have led to this very moment. It could be seen as cause for celebration - excitement, acknowledgement and recognition, each word after all is being written with in the container of "the first time" what does it take to embark upon that first time experience whatever it might be? Given the results of many first time ventures - what compels one to repeated attempts of the same action or to embark upon a new first time experience? So while this is a first, it cannot be seen as a ground-breaking event in the grander scheme of things - after all it's not like I've discovered writing and now I will introduce it to the world - having said that "new ground" is being broken by me and as I am in this world (well at least I can say I reside on this world ) is this world still the same as it was before I began to write and does what I have written, change the impact on the world as much as just the fact that I have now written?

There is no question that I aspire to, through me, using the vehicle of writing, generate that which will positively impact untold numbers of readers to touch, move and inspire; that will never be the case without a beginning - so today I write. To draw upon the title of this piece it is said we originate from ash and to ash we will return - so what of the time in between - of course you have to this point indulged me now I will formally ask that you do so, and invite you to accompany me to the following metaphor-perhaps upon my passing there will exist somewhere a stone upon which will be inscribed "Here lies Rob" or would that be "Here Rob lies"neither would be entirely accurate I've lied all over the place (it would get very cumbersome to mark  each location - but I do digress) it would then likely go on to say blah, blah, blah - depending on how much anyone would care to invest on said stone - I would hope anyone I would know would find a better use for their money - but again I'm trying to paint a picture here. So then it says  1959 - ???? so what is this "-" going to be all about? More importantly what or who is going to define it? Do you think that symbol was chosen just because it is the accepted punctuation in our lexicon (perhaps in part) I believe that a hint closer to the truth can be found in the size of the symbol which keep in mind represents the time (life) spent between birth (ashes) and death (ashes) - give or take the rate of decomposing. In the grander scheme of things the time here on earth elapses pretty quickly - it's just a blip on the screen (if that). How is that time being spent? Which brings me back to perspective - does anyone have to have read something I have written before it is significant that I wrote it? Is it necessary that I gain wide approval for what I have written before I can deem my writing a success or before it could be said what was written is having an impact on the world? What of the process that has led from hesitancy to be seen or heard - in written form or otherwise - if that has changed and a willingness now exists to become visible - does the process itself not represent something of value to someone that has not yet brought their particular gifts to fruition and shared them with the world? If a transformation has taken place affecting how a given individual shows up in the world is the world not subject to change? What after all was Gandhi referring to when he suggested we need be the "change" we wish to see in the world? In this case, if I was to wait for wide spread approval or even readership to affirm my success I might not ever write in the first place. Change shows up for me by not collapsing "success" with "approval" - success comes in the form of feeling guided to write and following through on that - where that goes is not my business. The distinction here is following ones heart vs. doing what is popular or will gain popularity or is the widely accepted path. I wonder what the world would look like if more followed the call of their heart? Yes I know there are practical considerations to living - how many of them have become necessary through the constructs of systems and widely accepted ways of being that have nothing to do with a heart-centered path (this is easily recognized by the number of people that are left behind by such systems and the destruction to the planet in their wake).
I therefore declare on this day July 19, 2011 I have been one hundred percept successful - I am in alignment - doing what I feel guided to do. I eagerly await dear reader (at this time I will employ a leap in faith that a reader will materialize) for the time and place when you will debut your heart song (in whatever form it takes) it will be a beautiful moment in time and the world will be forever changed!
Until we meet again!