Happy Independence Day! I love this holiday. Freedom is very groovy. “Free your mind!” Morpheus said to Neo and that is the edge that I am working right now. Who would I be if my mind was free of the limited beliefs and the restraints I have embedded in it?
Good question. My husband asked me the other day what I would do if I was totally fearless. We were enjoying a nice hike in a state forest out in western Mass and we had spotted a bear in a clearing not too far from where we were standing with our dog. It was a smallish black bear and I just glimpsed it through the trees. Good thing my dog, who was off leash at the time, didn’t see it or he would have wanted to make friends. Eeek.
It’s so cool when you see wildlife like that, and I never feel it’s a coincidence. I love working with animal spirits, so when I see a BEAR, it’s a big deal. Bears represents the open heart and all Bear Clan members are big hearted and kindly. Bear People have creative cycles that go with the seasons. They can be slow to anger but are very fierce if you get on the wrong side of them. Nothing is more dangerous then a bear who thinks you are threatening its cubs. People who have bear as their totem are generally sweet natured and slow to anger but they can bit a little bit unpredictable with their anger too, so sometimes you never know what might set them off. That is the meaning of bear medicine, the sacred energy that bear represents.
So when I see a power animal like that, I stop and pay attention to what I was thinking, feeling or saying at the time. And my husband had just asked me the question, “What would you do if you were fearless?”
I felt like the bear was asking me too. I am not really afraid of bears in theory. Theoretical bears are just peachy, all cute and fuzzy and full of honey. Like Pooh Bear. But actual bears in the woods, well, that is a slightly different story. People used to be scared as heck of bears. They are the baddest thing here in North America. (Unless you go swimming with the sharks, another animal I am obsessed with.)
The whole thing made me realize how much my life can be ruled by FEAR. With fear I am not free. Fear is a big bear trap that prevents me from really living at 100%.
I think about all the times fear has held me back in my life. And granted I am not a particularly fearful person. In general, I tend to take risks and go for it. Even so, I know there are things I would have done differently had I not been so afraid. I would have taken more risks, put myself out there more and at a younger age. I would not have listened to people who told me “It can’t be done.”
I wouldn’t have held onto things that weren’t working. I would have let go sooner.
I had a dream the other night that I had a huge blue, green and purple dragon tattooed on my arm. It was gorgeous and wrapped all up my arm, with it’s head on the back of my hand and it’s tail around my neck. If I was fearless I would get that tattoo.
I would take my kids on a cross-country tour, or somewhere overseas. (The thought of traveling with four teens scares me blue.)
I would finally sit down and write the book that has been floating in my head forever. (Ok, there are like four or five books in there, waiting patiently in a queue.) Maybe I would publish my blogs!
I would worry less and have more fun. I would definitely go buy those cute little shoes I saw in Rockport yesterday that I didn’t get cuz I was trying to be GOOD.
I would care a lot less about whether people liked and accepted me and would just say and do what I really want to.
I would ditch New England and move to Hawaii. Or southern France.
I would be Will Smith, in the movie, Independence Day, flying a plane and kicking an alien in the head. “I could have been at a BBQ!” And save the world. I think the Almost Americans must have been terrified to start a war with the Brits. It was a crazy idea and sometimes I can’t believe they actually won. But I am so glad that they were not too afraid to try, or there wouldn’t be any BBQ and we would be eating crumpets and drinking tea instead of good healthy beer and burned meat. Here’s for being Americans and chewing meat off the bone, like a bear. Grrrr!
Without fear, I would be free. What about you on this Independence Holiday? Are you ready to beat fear and free your mind?