Row, row, row, your boat gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream……that song conjures up pleasant childhood memories for me. I grew up in a smallConnecticutbeach town and on those warm lazy summer days my family would sing that song as we walked the long sandy road to the shore. Little did I know then what a metaphor for life that gentle children’s song is. Life is but a dream, ah sweet dreams, I thought back then. I would soon learn that, at times, the gentle stream could lead to turbulent waters.
As a teen, my friend and I decided to take a row boat ride on the sun kissed glistening waters of Long Island Sound, when unexpectedly a swift current took us in a dangerous direction out to sea. Our untrained arms were exhausting as fear overshadowed us and the soundtrack that day quickly switched to; row, row, row, your boat gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a NIGHTMARE… When I took a second to peer into the distance through my binoculars I could see people sipping cocktails on ritzy yachts and sunbathing on sailboats. And here we were frantically trying to navigate our small boat to safety against the perilous waters whilst praying we wouldn’t capsize, drown or get eaten by sharks.
Throughout this episode I had the realization we are all connected and a significant portion of life takes place in our minds. Everything is an illusion; the Sanskrit term for this is maya. All the boats were in the same ocean and the persons on them were each having their own experience. On our boat my friend and I were terrified, while the people sailing or on the yachts were having a splendid peaceful day, completely oblivious to the possibility of our demise.
I have always thought of life as a voyage of the soul. We are all travelers on different journeys to the same destination. Nevertheless, we are all united. There is not one right path or way. Some people seem to sail through life and at the same time another’s motor sputters out of gas and they seem alone and lost at sea. How very sad it is to feel separated, especially from Source. If only they had faith in knowing it is truly impossible to be disconnected from our Divine Mother and Father. It is as unfeasible as a wave disengaging from the sea. An analogy I favor of how we are all connected to God and one another is as follows:
If you were to take a cup and scoop water from the ocean, a part of the ocean would now be in the cup. Though it would appear the cup of water is now separated from the ocean, the water in the cup will always be a part of the ocean.
Once the water that was in the cup merges with the sea, you will never again be able to decipher the liquid that was once in the cup from the body of ocean. We are eternally spiritual energy and energy can never die, it only changes form. Most of what we envisage is just perception and perspective. When you really think about it we are neither dead or alive.
Tomorrow is not promised. We are here for such a short time, why do we fritter away so much of it on pettiness, jealousy, materialism, judgment, and the need to criticize and control others? A lot of us are even persecuted by “well meaning” friends and family for our spiritual practices. I do not pretend to have all the answers but I do tell them the difference between my beliefs and theirs is mine allows for theirs. For those of us that believe in reincarnation we have to take into account a person we may resent could have been someone from a past life we still have an issue with, hence the ill feelings. Do you really want to carry baggage from one lifetime to the next? Choose to resolve karma now.
Each time you behave in a constructive way you contribute beneficial energy to the world, and of course the opposite affect is true. From murder, to the seemingly small mendacity or ad hominem, to a simple smile, all have a ripple effect upon the world like a stone tossed into a pond. You must begin to think globally. Think about living your life as if you are staring in a reality series and your every move is videoed. In actuality, all we do is recorded and acknowledged in the Akashic Records—this is where everything that has ever transpired, including your individual intentions, thoughts, and actions, are recorded in the etheric dimensions and held within the blueprint of the planet.
Look, the only thing guaranteed is change, the only constant is God. Engage with God daily, meditate, and pray regularly. Take a long hard look at yourself, and even if at first you pretend to do better, commit now to operate on a higher level of consciousness. Like the song says, life is but a dream……God’s dream.