I have been reading a book called, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. You may have heard about it, as it has received a lot of publicity in recent months. Randy was a Virtual Reality Scientist and professor at Carnegie Mellon University, well known for its accomplishments in this field. As I understand it, it is customary for professors to give what is called a, "Last Lecture" as a way to impart the wisdom they have learned. What is unusual, is that it is not usually done at the end of their life. What makes this book unusual is that he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only months to live, and this was indeed his last lecture.
I was awed by his attitude to keep on living and creating in the midst of his illness. He had a wife and very young children he knew he would not see grow up. Randy could have decided to stop living but he did not, instead he decided he could leave a legacy not only for his family, but for anyone who wanted to listen.
There is much to be inspired about in the book, but what caught my attention was how he achieved his own dreams and used that as a model to help others. He believed there was more than one way, or line of thinking that would move someone closer to their dreams. As a child he had a dream to float in the air. Not knowing how that would ever happen he just kept the idea in his mind. One day, more than 20 years later, an invitation came that would allow his students to participate in a virtual reality experience at NASA that included being in the simulator that allowed an experience of floating in space. However, soon he found out that an instructor was not allowed to accompany the students...he was devastated! He decided to resign his position as a professor and apply to go along as a journalist. He was accepted and his dream was realized.
Well, I'm not suggesting that this is a solution for all of us, but it does point us in the direction of re-evaluating how we think about things and the way we have come to believe they need to be done. We all sometimes operate under a set thoughts that have us believe there is one prescribed path, one way to get from A to B and deviating from it does not make sense. When I hold this idea I have to turn my attention inward and ask, Could there be another way? Or how about when another way becomes clear and you reject it because it is not what you thought? My guess is that Randy could have easily dismissed this solution as illogical or impossible, instead of opening to the idea.
When I get to that place, I know I have been holding on too tightly and it is time to let go. I believe that you can never really have something unless you are willing to let it go. It is in the letting go that opens us to spirit, and that opening brings us the place of holiness where the possibilities are more than we can ever imagine. It is as though we have literally stepped into another world, and in reality we have...we have stepped into the fullness of God within us. The place that guides, fulfills and nurtures our souls.
As you think about your dreams pay attention to the places that keep you stuck and separate from yourself and God. I found this wonderful quote today as I looked for something else. It is "The boundary to what we can accept is the boundary to our freedom." The time is now to let nothing stand between you and your dreams!
Blessings,
Sandy
Sandy is a life coach at Burnsville Counseling and Healing Center and author of Selma's Spirit, A Story of Love and Forgiveness. She will be speaking about her healing journey on Friday, Sept. 26 at 6:30. For more information go to www.counselingandhealing.com/sandy_thibault.aspx
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