A Moment to Pause - What would you like to hear?
If Heaven exists, what would you like God to say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
This existential question, is one that James Lipton famously asked his guests on "Inside The Actors' Studio," and it was brought to life at a conference I attended last week.
The opening keynote closed with two esteemed leaders poised to answer this deeply personal question.
Christi Shaw was the first to respond. Earlier, she had thoughtfully shared her impressive career trajectory, 'climbing the ladder' of global corporate leadership, only to step down at the peak to provide care for her ailing mother and sister as they fought cancer.
A hush fell over the audience as she gathered her thoughts, and for a near-eternal ten seconds, you could hear a pin drop. The silence was deafening. You could feel the tension, and then she simply said, "Thank you."
The emotional weight of those two words hung in the air, stirring a wave of empathy, and created an "I'm not crying, you're crying" moment of shared humanity.
Together with her co-keynote speaker, Myrtle Potter, Christi exemplified what it means to lead a life of service—a life undeniably worth living.
A life worth living isn't an existence devoid of worry or dark moments. Like any life, it's seasoned with the unexpected. Troubles, trials, illness, and broken relationships are part of the package, and often, the scale of fairness seems unbalanced. The journey isn't easy; it's riddled with potholes and weather that test our fortitude.
But here's the essence: a life worth living embraces the full spectrum of life's offerings.
Our mindfulness practice is the tool that opens our aperture, helps us savor life's fleeting moments, and encourages us to hold our experiences lightly.
It arms us with the belief that we are equipped to manage our most stressful episodes, stay grounded in the present, and have faith in life's course.
While mindfulness doesn't guarantee that all will be well, it equips us with the perspective needed to surf the never-ending waves of life.
As Christi's response echoes in my mind, it becomes clear that a life worth living is not measured by the absence of struggle but by the presence of gratitude, resilience, and the capacity to see beauty even in the face of hardship.
So, how about you? What would you like to hear?
What does it mean to live a life worth living?
I hope you'll join us for one of our live practices this week. You'll be glad you did.
And please let me know what you think of our app's redesign.
Until next week, ripple something worth rippling.
Namaste,
Michael
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