One thing I’ve noticed while being here in Guatemala is that in the mornings, there is a wonderful chill in the air. The sun is bright and as a result, many people walk on the sunny side of the street to warm up.
Likewise, in the afternoons, the sun is beating down and all of the people choose to walk on the shady side of the street where the temperatures are probably 20 degrees cooler. It’s a choice that everyone makes and that choice is relative to the time of day…but there are definite consequences to that choice.
This got me thinking about a childhood song that we all know and I believe it holds the secret to a life well lived….
Row, Row, Row Your Boat.
Let me break it down and show you what I mean…
Row, Row, Row. In life…we must put forth an effort. Nobody is going to do the work for you. You must “row” and not just once..or a little bit…but you must row, row and row.
Your boat. Many people in life are concerned with everyone else’s boat. They want to control or influence what everyone is does or “should” do. Instead, focus only on “your boat”…it’s all you can control anyway.
Gently. Life requires work…but we are to move through life…gently. Being humble, loving and “not splashing around” making everyone else crazy!
Down the Stream. We are not salmon. We are not supposed to swim upstream…although many do and want a merit badge for it. We are to “flow” with life and our calling. We all know it when we are…and when we aren’t…
Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily. This is the result of doing everything I’ve mentioned above. We get to experience what I believe is the most “underestimated” emotion we have access to…**joy**. This is different from being “happy.” Joy engages the soul and resides at a much deeper level. Joy rocks!
Life is but a Dream. We get one shot down this trip down the river called life. At some point in the future we are going to wake up and realize all we “could have done” or “should have done” and some of us will be filled with joy and some…not so much… It’s a choice…it’s our choice.
Well, that’s it. I know this is a simple song, but I believe it holds much wisdom if we would just put it all into practice. We all have choices that we make each day and these choices will place us on one side of the street or the other.
Good life = good choices.