Zenitude #6: Participate In Our Lives

"Participate in your life."

(Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters -- LA Sonic Highway Episode)

My mother has always said that when I was born, I was born marching and that someone could immediately tell that I was a little girl on a mission. Little wonder that I was potty trained by 9 months, off the bottle and walking. I had things to do, people to see, places to go and things to do. Diapers were not acceptable. I believe I was born rushing -- but rushing and creating habits that would not allow me to fully participate in my life.

So today's Zenitude brings into question NOT marching, NOT rushing, so that we actually participate in our life. Marching can have negative connotations -- at least for me. We are inclined to think "military" or "regimented formation." When we're at the grocery store, for example, are we intense, hands gripping the cart, marching briskly through aisles with purpose, eyes forward -- no eye contact, barely taking a breath, oblivious to almost anything around us? If someone could hear our theme song at that moment, would it be the Wicked Witch of the West music? (Makes me clench my jaw just listening to it!)

Well, the answer for me is, yes. I find myself doing that and pushing, forcing, myself forward in life, into the errand and into the space ahead of me. What would it take to get our shoulders out of our ears, unclench our jaw, quit hacking our way through everything in front of us to get to the next thing, enjoy the forward motion, accomplishment, letting space envelop us as we gently smile and journey through our days?

I've been working on this, so today's Zenitude:

Don't push ourselves through life. Participate in our lives. (Thanks, Mr. Grohl.)