The Unbelievable Beauty of Being Human.

My friends, Phil and Cynthia, co-creators of an art form called InterPlay, first introduced me to this phrase almost twenty years ago. They brought together over 50 willing humans to gather on stage and tell their stories through their bodies, voices, instruments, and connection with each other. The performance was called “The Unbelievable Beauty of Being Human.” Being a part of this gathering was a blessing I will always be grateful for.

Something Phil told us one day resurfaced for me on this journey; that absolutely everybody has a story-an interesting story. Nobody is boring. No life is boring.

I have spent the last month traveling across this country. I have put my feet in opposite oceans, went to the third ocean, saw haybales turn into windmills as I crossed state lines, felt tears rain down my face as I stood on top of mountains, and laughed for two hours straight, giggling and guffawing, as I walked through caverns beneath the surface of the earth. Through all of these adventures, what amazes me and humbles me the most are the stories that I have had the honor of collecting along the way…

Stories told in wild, exuberant hand gestures.

Stories told in handshakes that linger.

Stories told in wordless communication between eyes that won’t look away.

Stories told in effortless tales that comfortably roll off the tongue.

Stories told in carefully chosen words, because words can fail us, time and time again.

Stories of the living.

Stories of the dead.

Stories that add to the tapestry of a life we knew so well, but not all of.

Stories of elves living in Scandinavia. Yes. Today. Right now. I’m serious…and so are they.

Stories told over a glass of wine and a shot of moonshine.

Stories shared at the dinner table.

Stories shared while sinking comfortably into couches.

Stories shared while taking luxurious walks through water, down dirt roads and pavement, across the sand, through the forests, across well groomed lawns and wild lands.

Stories shared in those moments, in the margins, just before sleep and upon waking.

Stories told through lyrics and music.

What I am certain of, is that every single person walking around in a body on this earth, and every single person who has passed on into the whirlwind has a story that someone in this world wants to hear, needs to hear.

Mark your story somehow.

Whether it is through painting, or photography, or music, or journals, or a recipe that has been handed down through your family, or sewing stitches into the fabric of treasured clothing that is worn by a loved one, by telling stories or singing songs to your children…whatever it is, pass along your story. It is vital. It is the energy that feeds our lives and the world we are blessed to live in. Our story is what lingers when our bodies are gone.

You are given this body on loan. It is a temporary gift, in which the huge experience of you gets to reside. You live in it and through it, and through it you get the blessing of getting to experience this life on earth.

Don’t fritter it away.

Do not waste time judging how others are using this gift of their bodies in this life. (What a useless endeavour.)

Follow your instincts, trust your gut, it will never steer you wrong.

Use your skin, your hands, your body, your voice, your beautiful mind- in combination with your indomitable spirit, to achieve glorious life on this earth while you have the gift of your temporary presence in this body.

Don’t be afraid to try things.

Try everything! I was reunited with a friend on this trip who goes somewhere he has never been at least once a year. It can be a restaurant, a park, or a foreign country, it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s somewhere new.

Risk everything for love.

Risk everything for Life.

Enjoy! Create! Revel!

Be here. Now.

You know that phrase, “There is no time like the present?” Well. There really isn’t. You only have right now. So do it.

Love your body.

Don’t judge your body. It is a gift that has been given to you. Feel it. Enjoy what it feels like residing in your own skin. Get comfy in it. It is yours and only yours and it does not matter one bit what others think you should or should not look like. You look like you for a reason. Love it.

I think I’ll say that part again…

It is yours and only yours and it does not matter one bit what others think you should or should not look like. You look like you for a reason. Love it.

When people share their story, and create from that place of reveling in the gift of their bodies…Support it!

Applaud their dance!

Dance to their music!

Buy their music!

Buy their creations!

Support it! Support it! Support it!

Give them the confidence to keep creating and sharing their stories and talent and gifts with the rest of us.

You can see it all around you, see it when someone is walking around in harmony with themselves. Sometimes it can trigger interesting feelings; there is a thin line between jealousy and inspiration.

Go with inspiration.

Be inspired.

It feels better in your body and is much better for you : )

Give yourself opportunities for transformation.

Nothing is permanent, certainly not our bodies.

That is what life is, constant transformation.

Embrace constant transformation.

Oh…and guess what, it doesn’t have to be so hard.

Yes, it can be. That is true.

And it can also come easily into you and it can also be a whole big belly laugh full of fun!

I’m hitting the road in a few minutes for the final legs of my journey. As I approach reintegration into the familiar rhythm of my life, I also have someone in the passenger seat next to me; I picked up my husband on my journey back and he took me to one of the most beautiful places on the earth-The Tetons in Wyoming.

Sitting beside him, I am both awed and comforted, and once again full of gratitude.

Finding a life partner who wants to transform alongside you, who is willing to embrace those changes through your lives together is truly special.

Okay. Time to pack up. Fuel Up. Play the music loud, and head for home. See y’all in a few days…

Have Fun! …and listen to or share a story today, and revel in the unbelievable beauty of your human self…