When was the last time you took time to re-invent? Find new passions or start practicing the ones you had but never got to them for some reason. You know, the “I like to cook but I just don’t have time for that right now”, or “man I’ve always wanted to travel but I just don’t have the money”.
Have you noticed how fast we got to the end of August? It feels like yesterday when we were welcoming 2023, singing a Christmas carol, or watching one of those movies with the cool old man screaming ho-ho-ho around the world. In the blink of an eye, we are running the last couple of miles of this year’s race and getting close to the finish line. How is that vision board going for you? Did you have one at all? Did you make it after the first month at the gym? Were you able to get that raise at your job? The person you liked last year, did you have the courage to ask them out? Many are the desires of our heart; few are the ones we listen to. Today I sit in front of a screen to write about the beauty of the innocent heart, I want to encourage you that for a while you walk around with a sign that says “out of order… I’m remodeling.” Remodeling because you will detach from everything that no longer serves you, remodeling because if you follow that innocent heart of yours. You will shine like never before, but most importantly, you are being remodeled because tomorrow is not guaranteed, and we don’t have time to leave for tomorrow what we can do today. While I am an advocate for following our heart, I also recognize that there is a big difference between our pure heart, and the one we have allowed the world to manipulate. This is why I want to be clear in the following before we dive deep into what I want to share with you today. I want you to keep in mind that listening to your heart is not going out on a Friday night and getting wasted because you got your heart broken. That’s called, putting a band aid where you needed stitches. Listening to your heart is not getting a job you hate because you are supposed to get a retirement. That’s called, trading who you are supposed to be for whom the world wants you to be. Finally, listening to your heart is not cheating on your girlfriend because we only have one life and we are supposed to live it to the fullest. That’s called, giving up what you want the most for what you want at the moment. With that being said, let’s get into today’s reflection!
Can you think of the things you know you’d love to be doing but for some reason you are not doing? I want you to think about anything, no matter how crazy it may sound! For example, for me they are the following: I’ve always wanted to live in a penthouse with a panoramic view to downtown and its surroundings, and I’ve always wanted to drive a nice black sports car. You get the drill? I don’t want you to limit your imagination to what is “possible”, just let your mind take you to extraordinary places and allow your mouth to paint a smile on your face when you are picturing all these things.
Now, reality is that as much as I’d like to be living in a penthouse, I pay rent for a room at the house of a very kind family. And as much as I’d like to be driving a black sports car, I drive a 2000 Honda Civic. The distance from what I envision to what I have is significant, and this could be the case for you too. So, how is it that we get to live a fulfilling life if we don’t have what we desire? Because it is not at the end of the mountain that fulfillment is hidden, it is the climb that will make your journey especial. Have you ever heard people say that we need to travel with small luggage in life? Well, this is kind of what it is about. You make the best with what you have my friend! You may not have that winery today and probably you don’t even have the money to buy expensive wine. However, if you save up a couple dollars throughout the month, you will have enough to get yourself the cheapest wine at the store. You can come home on the last day of the month, pour that wine on a plastic cup if necessary, and drink it as if you were the owner of a well-known winery in the fields of California. Maybe you don’t have the means to travel to a different country, or not even to the town that’s next to your city, but nothing stops you from exploring the place where you live! Who said that to travel you need to go to a different city? Do me a favor and tomorrow take yourself on a trip to the park. You can romanticize your life if you want to. Right here, right now, and with what you have. Take in every moment as if it was the last one, make time to read that book you love (even if it is only 10 minutes), value things not for what they are worth but for what they mean, dance every chance you get, and make sure you tell the ones you love that you love them. You will realize that those desires are there only so we can keep moving, that getting there is not as big of a price as it is to fully experience the journey. I don’t live in that penthouse, but I treat my room as if it was the nicest penthouse in New York, rarely I turn on the light and instead I keep my nightstand light on so I can get that cozy vibe. I don’t have the panoramic view I want, but when I open the blinds of my window and see the neighbor’s roof, I proudly pull out the chair from my desk, open my bible, and read it as if I was reading in the most luxurious apartment there is. It is true I don’t drive that nice sports car, but when I drive my Tarzan (that’s his name) I treat him as if he was the last Lamborghini that came out. Maybe one day I’ll have the things that I envision or maybe I won’t, and I am ok with that! Because there is no place I would rather be than living in the present and enjoying every step of my journey (even the ones that feel a little wobbly). I encourage you to start your remodeling process right now, the longer you wait the more you miss. Keep your head lifted so you can see what’s waiting for you in the horizon, but during the walk please take your shoes off. That way you can feel the ground and be reminded that as much as you want to get there, today you are here and that is beautiful.
I can’t leave this writing without mentioning the most important person that has helped me get to this place of contentment. His name is Jesus, and just like he helped me (and still does every day) he can help you too. The world will always have you chasing after the next thing, but when you meet Jesus, you realize that there is nothing you need to be chasing after because he is more than enough. He has given me this freedom and I want that for you too. He can carry all your burdens my friend, so seek a relationship with him! Life is not perfect and it will never be, but I promise you that it is better to go through the valley with him than it is to do so by yourself.