I Love Mantras

When I was a child, maybe 5 or so, my mother used to drive us around town in a T-bird. With the top down, the wind in our hair, and the radio blaring. To everyone around us my mother was unseemly as she flaunted herself (and me) in this huge boat of a car, down packed downtown residential streets. To my mother, we were free spirits, cruising the streets of Memphis in search of adventure. My time with my mother and the T-bird are the happiest memories from my entire childhood. Not because of the time that she and I spent together. But because of the music. That car was my mobile sound booth. As each song came on the radio, I'd quickly began to sing every word and note. If the song was a new release, I'd learn it as quickly as possible so I'd be ready the next time it played. This whole process quickly became a game with us. A game to see if I could name the song before my mother, and then sing it (as perfectly as 5-year old me could). My mother couldn't sing a note to ...

Three years ago, after a stroke nearly ended my life, I needed advice about a lot of things, but mostly about my life’s path. Only there wasn’t anyone around to lend it. I fell in a lot of potholes along the way, took a wrong turn or two, and ended up in places I never  in a million years  thought I’d be.  Much in my life has changed: my health, my body, my life’s purpose, my interests, my spirituality, my values, what I hold most dear, what I’m willing to part with, and much more.  I’m still alive – that’s always a good thing! I can’t help but wish the road had been smoother and that the directions had been less cryptic. It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. True. Only I’m impatient and keep asking “Am I there yet?” I read books, blogs, and articles written by others who walked a similar path, and I come away feeling even more confused.  Because of space constraints, these writers often don’t get into as much detail as I would like, leavi...