Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Keeping the Flame Alive:


"A man practices the art of adventure when he breaks the chain of routine and renews his life through reading new books, traveling to new places, making new friends, taking up new hobbies, and adopting new viewpoints." 
- Wilfred Peterson


Photo Credit: Sparks of David Photography


"Tickets, please!" shouts the guard at the gate entrance.  "Everybody keep to the left". Jack fumbles around and foolishly pats at his pockets knowing damn well that he doesn't have a ticket. He doesn't even have money to buy a ticket. But he wants to be on the other side of the barrier. He needs to be at that concert. After such a hellish week, Jack justified that he even deserved it. He craves the kicks, to feel alive. He pictures himself standing next to the stage. The lights flashing in his eyes as the music washes over him lifting his sorrow spirit to breathtaking heights. He feels the emotion and chaos as bodies crash into each other in a sweaty mosh of ecstasy and bliss.

Determined to be at the dance party that rages on a mere 50 meters before him, Jack makes up his mind. He wants in and will be there at all costs. Hopeful, he weighs the options that would replace an entry ticket. Then, Jack sees it. A crack in the fence. It's close enough to the entrance to be slightly hidden by the sea of people that surrounded. He can do it but he needs a distraction. Just then - as if the rebel gods were on his side - the opportunity comes.

The ticket master turned for a moment to speak to a patron. Or was it to chastise a fellow trespasser? Jack didn't bother waiting to find out and made his move. He feels a hot jolt run through his entire body as he wedges one foot and knee through the crevice in the fence. He was almost there! Was he spotted? Jack stifles his doubts and fear of the crime. He could hear the excitement rising through his veins. His heart beats in synch with the tempo of the bass-pumping techno blasting from the speakers and he feels the raw nerves in the pit of his belly. A brief wave of sweat washes over Jack's body as he slips his hips through the gate. He's in. He can hardly contain himself. "Keep it cool, Jack. Don't look back - just keep moving," he mutters anxiously to himself as he strolls animatedly down the lawn towards the stage. A mixture between a laugh and a whimper escapes from Jack's throat. He knows he will prevail. Moving as if he has every right to be there, Jack's stroll turns into a brisk, yet, awkward jog as he bolts down the grassy hill and races towards the dancing crowd. "Yeaaaaaaa!" Jack bellows in triumph at the top if his lungs. He had made it.

Jack spent the rest of the night socializing, shamelessly dancing, and horsing around. The music, human connection, and new territory was just what he needed. After a terribly hectic week of mind-numbing work, Jack was worried he would split at the seams from the pressure. Like a childhood delinquent searching for the thrill of living on the edge, Jack needed a release. And that's just what he got.

Jack searches for something meaningful in life because he is unenthused. The 'rat race' and daily grind of mundanity had left him feeling high and dry and he just wanted to break the vicious cycle of stagnancy and feel exhilarated again. Jack's life had become habitual and it lacked the vivacity he needs to thrive. He needed to feel ALIVE.

The truth is, we all need to feel alive. We need excitement, something to rev our engines! But if we do the same things - in the same way - every day, our lives will lack… well …LIFE! The human experience is dynamic, progressive, and ever-changing so there is a constant need to keep up. We must keep things fresh or we will wither away, die, and scatter with the wind.

Jazz things up! Keep your work captivating, your education insightful, your travels inspiring. Maintain an arousing love-life and keep your friendships surprising. Step outside of your creative comfort zone and try something new, something avant-garde to trigger novel thoughts and feelings. Innovate in all areas and challenge your personal status-quo. Advance in life!

If we fall into mundane routine even the most beautiful things in life will turn into a dull bore.
It may sound cliche but take a different route to work or volunteer yourself for new responsibilities, shock your muscles with a new and challenging exercise or delve into new territory in your spiritual journey. 

If you think and act in terms of change new opportunities will arise. You WILL experience something new. How different our lives will be is determined by how far we go to into foreign territory. Perhaps, Jack's resolution was reckless and irresponsible but if life is empty it will somehow be filled with something - whether in the form of struggle, revolution, or opportunity - to keep us on our toes...

We have all been given the spark of life. It is now our responsibility to kindle it into a flame. Feed your fire with the appropriate fuel and it will warm and illuminate the way along any path you choose.

Keep the flame alive - keep life interesting!



"The less routine the more life." 

- Amos Bronson Alcott


Sunday, May 12, 2013

Inspirational SLAM POETRY:


"Life's like a road that you travel on
When there's one day here and the next day gone
Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand
Sometimes you turn your back to the wind"

- Tom Cochrane, LIFE IS A HIGHWAY

Photo Credit: Sparks of David Photography

We are all cars and the open road is our journey in life
Through the laughter and tears, the sweat and strife
Just know: It's your car, your rules
So don't listen to those fear-mongering fools
who misguide  
The backseat drivers who tell you to slow down 
Who suffocate your rising flame to keep you in the "right lane"
They just want to help but does anyone really know you?
Does anybody really know what you need?

A driver's manual can keep your automobile in tip-top shape
But it will not tell you where to go, which turn to take
Drive somewhere new. Take the scenic route.
Go far! 
It's your car...
  
YOU drive YOU thrive
And if it gets dark? Turn on your headlights
If it turns black? Switch on your brights.  
Change the radio station and turn it way up. 
Ride the music, feel the sensation 
But you must not sit idle, get in the groove
Find your support, get off your ass, and move
So long as there's traction under your tires they will carry you where you choose
You're responsible for your happiness, to get out of the gloom
But like burning rubber on hot asphalt, You may have to ZOOM...


Find excitement! Feel your engine roar with life
Hear it purr like a prowling leopard 
Let it loose. Throw open the cage with all your might
Drive Dammit Drive!
Feel the thrill of your movement. The rubber on the road. 
Roll down the windows and let the wind blow through your hair
Maybe you'll jolt at the honk of a horn. Should you care?
They want your attention. We all want attention.
Fate? Hate? Maybe it's just bottled up aggression...
  
More important than petrol are the people that surround you
Like fuel for your car, they will drive you 
But you can go forward or backward.
It's your trip, What would you do?
If you keep looking in the rear-view mirror you'll miss what's in front of you    
So think forward. Write your own map. Get a clue.
Create your own destiny, Make your own decision!
DRIVE! 
Or be driven...