picture of the day

I read an article by Julie Gray in the Huffington Post this morning that sparked an intense thought - Where is this journey leading?

When all is said and done, what is this life for?

Then, as I looked for the picture of the day, I came upon this beautiful one, and it sparked the thought again.

Where am I heading? What's my purpose?  

A deep question, I know.  But since I'm Queen of the Deep, and it wouldn't be a normal day if something hadn't sent me on a dive into the exploration of life, here I go ;)

Putting all beliefs aside, including my own, let's assume death is the end.  Period.  This is it.  All you have.

I believe that my purpose, and yours, is to enjoy life with courage.  Since being hit head-on with my own mortality I have lived by the quote - Feel the fear, and do it anyway.  Explore life, enjoy it, and live it to the full, knowing you get just one shot.  All very cliche I know, but think about it.  If now is it for you, today being your last day on earth, what would you regret?  What have you not accomplished?  What are you too afraid to do? Don't make it complicated, it isn't. Just take fear from the equation and look at the simplicity of life. 

I'm not exploring grief today, that's a whole other issue.  One that I believe Julie articulated with courage and grace.  Helping people by sharing your own vulnerabilities is healing in itself.  Grief is very personal, and we all deal with it in our own way, but rather than tying yourself to your loss today, just look for a moment at YOU.  What is your story?  Who do you long to be? 

None of us really know what awaits us, but being in the moment of every day you can truly make the most of what you do have, by taking this life by the horns and having the courage to LIVE IT.

"Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings."

- Jane Austen

Are you caught up in busy nothings?  We all have responsibilities that tend to run our lives, but don't let those busy nothings be all you have.  You have dreams, right?  Don't forget to dream, and more importantly - live them.

A while ago I spoke about hitting a brick wall with the script I was writing.  That although I felt compelled to write it, I was finding it increasingly difficult because of being forced to face emotions I didn't feel ready to explore.  Here I was, writing about someone who took their life willingly, while experiencing the enormous loss of someone that didn't.  What I learnt during that time was that sometimes there is neither rhyme nor reason for events that happen "to" us.  Life just sucks sometimes.  But learning to grow through the pain, and come out of it wearing your battle scars with pride, is possible...albeit painful.  I needed to find the courage to live my dream, and that would involve dealing with the emotions head-on.  Feel the fear, and do it anyway.

Look at where you're blessed.  What you do have.  Have faith that you can turn your dreams into a reality, one step at a time.

I decided the best gift I can give my lost loved one is to share his legacy of love.  Be the walking embodiment of that by joyously embracing life with passion and purpose as he did.

So, if your dream is to be the best god-damn writer on the planet, then look at the first step to making that a reality - WRITE.  Don't be afraid to explore the depths of emotion, that's where the gold lies and the healing begins.

God bless you all.  Anyone suffering a profound loss, you have my deepest love as you wade through the mire of your own grief, and my prayers that you find a way to live with a spirit and love of this beautiful gift of life, while honoring your loved one.

Happy writing ;)

Emma