Why worry now? part 4

    No, you can't change your past but you have all the power in the Universe to change your present and future. Some might wonder why I've chosen to title this series, "Why worry now?",  when it seems as though there's a lot to consider and fuss about when making life changes. I use music to comfort and encourage me in all aspects of my life. It's a very important part of me and while there are several songs that helped me through these changes as I faced them--and continue to do so-- one in particular has always stuck with me. It's called, "Why Worry?" by The Dire Straits. I chose it as a love song from my higher Self to remind me that life happens in cycles... These things have always been the same, so why worry now? 

     It is worth revisiting the past if it helps you remember the brave and precocious child you once were or that time when you met a challenge while embodying the ideals you admire. You are still that person inside if you choose to activate them again. Take the best parts of who you are, who you have been, who you aspire to be, and start living that person every day to the best of your ability. Don't think you have to wait for some illusory, perfect time to begin. Play the part of the person you want to be starting now! Does she sit slumped over or straight and proud? Does he look down and avoid eye contact when his gaze meets someone randomly on the street? Or does he smile with shoulders back and chin lifted?  Each moment becomes an opportunity to express yourself in a new way. The simplest shift in posture or body language can change your own energy and, in effect, that of those around you. 

Here's a little exercise for those of you with vivid imaginations or that still have trouble connecting yourself with the person in your dreams. By nature, many of us are actors. We choose the mask we want to wear for certain people or in situations. Let's put that to use:

     Make up a character. Consider their traits; positive and negative. Make this role who you want to see as yourself in 5 years from now. Imagine their story about how they overcame obstacles, sadness, and misfortune. Now practice playing that part. Study how others play this part for inspiration. We all have our heroes and superheroes, real and imagined. Talk like them; brave and strong. Nurture them. How would this person eat and care for their physical self? How would you treat someone you loved? Become that someone you love.

     As I progress in my own phase of reinventing and rebuilding-- and I truly feel that this stage will last for many more years to come-- I try on some traits, mannerisms, and images just like a new style of clothing I'd never considered. It had been so long since I had felt I was in my truest form. How would I know what they looked or felt like on me, if I didn't try them? I continue the process of keeping what feels honest and letting go that which doesn't. I think it's a healthy practice of experimentation and purging that I plan to continue throughout the years of my life.  

     Something I keep in mind as I learn to portray myself: Once, a dear friend who is also a Kenpo Karate Master, told me a story of how a woman commented to him once after having observed him in a restaurant. She said she knew he must be either be a martial artist or a dancer because of how gracefully he moved. She felt compelled to share that observation and it must have really meant something special to him regardless of his mountain of professional accomplishments. It resonated with me too. I want that for me! When people see me, I want them to guess by the way I carry myself that I'm a dancer. I want them to assume by the way I dress and the way I observe the world that I'm an artist. So I practice my posture, dress in a way that makes me feel happy and beautiful, and move with as much grace as I can muster even when I'm only performing with the fax machine in the office! People will notice and sometimes they'll even say something out loud. Slowly but surely, those comments and observations start shoving the old ones out; reinforcing our reprogramming efforts. Everyday you'll become more You and that's a beautiful thing.