I Will Not Go…

I’m sure that we are all at least passingly familiar with this quote:

“Do not go gentle into that good night.”

We all have some feeling that this small quote evokes in us. It’s part of a larger poem written by Dylan Thomas in 1945. He seems to have written it almost as a memorial to his father, who was seriously ill at the time. This poem challenges us to step back and take a look at how we are living and what we’re doing with our time here.

Are you going quietly into that good night?

That’s going to be my question to you for today. How are YOU living? Are you making the most of your precious time here or are you waiting or squandering or simply existing?

I’ve often talked about the preciousness of life and how it is up to you to take the reins and live your own life. It’s a big thing for me. I spent a good amount of my own life not living for myself. Oh, I lived a life and I did have a good amount of accomplishments that I am indeed proud of. However, I was trying to live for other people’s expectations and how other people thought I should live.

You know what? I was completely miserable living that way. It seemed that I was a constant failure. Which really shouldn’t come as any surprise to anyone. This is YOUR life and only YOU can live it. No one else can tell you how to live your life. It’s yours to do with what YOU choose.

Sure, you can give away your ability to make that choice for your life. I see that happening all the time. But honestly, that’s just chicken shit. Allowing someone else to make decisions for your life is weak and a poor attempt to avoid responsibility for your life. At the end of the day, YOU are the one that gets to live with your life.

I’m not saying that it’s going to be an easy road. Life never is. What I’m saying is that regardless of how you choose to live, remember that you are responsible for those choices. You can’t pass that off to anyone else.

I was in the car the other day and I heard a song that I hadn’t listened to in a long while. It’s called “Songs of Life” by Brett Michaels. The chorus goes like this:

Love and pain and sacrifice
Flesh and blood, all the songs of life.
You said I will not go quietly in the night
You got to stand and fight

Read that again and tell me why you aren’t fighting for what you want right now. This is YOUR LIFE!! You only get to do it once. It’s not easy, nor should it be. This World isn’t on your side. It doesn’t want you to stand up and shine for everyone else around you. The world wants you to simply get by and stay in line. Is that the kind of life you want? Take a look deep into your heart and tell me that you just want to shuffle in line all through your life.

So, what are you going to do about it? How are you going to live life out loud?

Start small if you’re not used to this. Figure out what you want from YOUR life and start with the small things. Build up your courage and confidence that you CAN live your life for yourself.

Try this…Figure out who in your life is supportive and who is trying to live your life for you. Then STOP LISTENING TO THOSE PEOPLE LIVING YOUR LIFE! Don’t be mean about it, just tell them, “This is my life, not yours, and I’m going to live it the way I want.” You just might be surprised at what happens and how much happier you feel about your life.

Don’t worry; it might be a bit scary at first. Change always is, as is doing things for yourself all on your own. You can do it! I believe in you. No matter who you are, you have everything it takes to succeed right inside you already.

I know that I’ve used this quote here before, but it fits, so you get it again to close the thought today. :-)

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
– Marianne Williamson