All The World’s A Stage
Death and rebirth. Endings and beginnings. There is no one without the other. Though one often brings tears and the other likely excitement, these opposites have one thing in common. Fear. Fear of the unknown. The dance of this duo can incite such dread that we go to fantastic lengths to avoid them. Everyday, every minute, every second something dies to give birth to something new. We have 86,400 opportunities a day to become. A chance to heal, to hope, to act, to love, to let go. Our past does not hold a patent on our outcome. We have the power to be the hero or the villain, the main character or a walk-on. Wise William Shakespeare once said “A coward dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies but once.” Even more familiar is “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.” What role(s) do we choose to play? Do we cast ourselves a starring role, or do we play it small?
Sadly, I have mostly chosen the latter. I’ve allowed fear to call my heart home and regret to shrink my soul. I’ve found myself acting out a tear-filled tragedy rather than a light-hearted romantic comedy. I’ve been afraid to take center-stage in my own life, and I wonder why everything just feels ever so slightly…off. But, the beautiful thing is that I am alive and awake to the possibilities that await me. Every second offering a second chance! No mistake or seemingly wrong turn is the end of us. It’s just the end of one way of thinking, doing or being. Get up, wipe yourself off, re-evaluate, and start again. Stronger, better, wiser this time. We now carry an arsenal of amazingness in our back pockets, ready to whip it out at a moment’s notice. When that next opportunity presents itself we are ready. We stand tall, straight, and confident to take on our new role. The Universe loves this can-do attitude and will happily and eagerly co-create our grand new adventure toward our own personal utopia.
Try and try again. It is often said that Thomas Edison failed 1000 times before successfully inventing the prototype of the light bulb. When a reporter asked Edison how it felt to fail 1,000 times, Edison replied: “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention of 1,000 steps.” When we find ourselves face down after our next failure, I hope and pray that we each will have the presence of mind to remember that it is not the end. It is instead a chance to reinvent and re-cast ourselves into that new and exciting role we’ve always dreamed of.
Along with the looming possibility of death arriving at our doorstep, Covid equally brought to our door the opportunity to recreate and reorganize our lives into something life-changing. For me, it blessed me with a year of unemployment and freedom to heal from a life un-lived and from the heartbreak of struggle. It has given me the strength I needed to find what makes my heart sing and my feet dance. I was once lost in sadness and despair, but I’m now finding myself through infinite forms of creativity. Instead of focusing on what hasn’t worked, I’m honed in on birthing a multitude of creative works. I’m writing, crafting, and making art. This beautifully challenging transition from death to life has been a breath of fresh air, and I am forever grateful for what was, is, and will be.
