Love is a friendship set to music ~ Joseph Campbell
It was a typical morning for me. I was in the midst of a detailed, story-dream when I began to wake up. I asked myself the question I ask almost every morning, What is the meaning of this dream? and then I began thinking about the fact that the light we shed on situations truly creates the emotion, drama, meaning, and experiences we have.
For example, when it comes to service work, I could shed a light of drudgery, matyrdom, pain and misery as I complete some not-too-easy tasks, or I could whistle while I work and shine a light of gratitude, contribution, and love. I have that choice.
Also, this morning, as I read the quote at the top of the page, I wondered what music my loving relationships make, and then I thought back to a Joseph Campbell book I read some years ago, Pathways to Bliss, and the fact that in many ways, we create our bliss. So much of who we are and what we do is an automatic, traditional set for us which creates a situation where we don't remember that we have a lot of power over the way we live life--we can be creative about our days beginning with our attitudes and extending to our choices.
Not long ago, on a beloved local show, Chronicle, they featured many ways people had recreated the spaces in which they live--it was amazing to see. The people featured thought far outside the box and created unique and intriquing spaces unlike the typical homes so many of us live in. This is an example of people taking the time to think anew, revise, and in some ways, create bliss.
When was the last time, you took a few minutes to think about creating a blissful situation--a time of wonderful joy and happiness. Often when we think like this, we think big such as an ideal vacation or a magnificent celebration, but we can also think about this on a small scale such as beautiful, delicious meal, a creative table setting, an imaginative evening, or a local exploration. And, when we take time to create these blissful times with others, we connect with a sense of whimsy and joy.
The pandemic has forced us to think anew all the time--we are continually recreating what life is for us during these challenging days. Perhaps, if we take the mindset of creating bliss in small, joyful, happy ways, we can enliven the final months of this painful pandemic. That's what I'll be thinking about today.
Afterthought
Sometimes as a teacher, when the children would become a bit gloomy, I would play this video for them--it brought all of us joy.