“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.” - Pema Chodron
Inspired by Frankie's post from yesterday about being a "freshman in life, " I chose this quote in honor of all students starting back to school. That first day offers a special brew of nervousness and excitement. You might even be able to stir up those feelings when you see little kids with backpacks waiting for the bus. No matter how old we get, we will always have back-to-school memories .
Nature also stirs up the sense of new beginnings even if we are not going back to school. The light, the air, the sounds all seem to say "it's time." New projects get momentum and new initiatives get the fuel they require to take off. Those impulses are natural and should be honored.
I happen to be someone who lives with these impulses driving me year-round. Sounds great but continually going forward can sometimes cause me to get too far ahead of myself. Whenever I express concern that I am pushing too far, I have a friend who teases me, "TaraMarie, if you're not living on the edge, you're not living." This pop sentiment may also be at the heart of what Pema is saying but she goes further in educating us that to be fully human is to be alive and awake. With this approach, we have no choice but to grow and evolve.
So, go ahead and let yourself be thrown out of the nest...again, and again.
- TaraMarie Perri