The freedom of choice...

Mid March I took a skiing trip to Oslo, which was my main reason to head to Norway. My good friend mentioned that - while I was over there - there was to be a talk by the Son of Pablo Escobar, and that to in English. I knew I just had to hear this talk.

What took me by surprise, while also inspiring to hear Pablo Escobar's son speak about his father, was how the media (and also Netflix) have presented this notorious man and also hearing from his son Juan (or Sebastian as he is now called). At times I felt like I was hearing a script of a really crazy Bollywood movie! (E.g. as a 15 year old boy he was taken to his father's rival's place where his grandmother also happened to be there, but unlike him, she was there out of choice and was demanding properties to be put under her name before the rivals were allowed to kill him! - my thoughts; geeeez thanks Grandma!!) Jokes aside, I was astounded. (He was able to - through what I believe was the power of non-violence and not reacting - convince the rivals to let him live).

Anyways what struck me later on during this talk was one of his answers. Someone in the audience asked, "Post your father's death how did you go from living with all that money to nothing? Or having to fend for yourself?" His response was "What's the point of all that money when you can't even enjoy the freedom that the money is supposed to bring. I couldn't even go down the road to buy bread. Or play football on the streets [because of who I was] so whats the point?" So true! Money without freedom is a prison sentence.

Yet I also believe a lot of us are in a prison of our own making, in our day to day lives. Now even taking a small step to your 'dream' or 'ambition" is better than not doing anything at all. Because life is truly short.

I have recently gone through an incident where I was given a harsh reminder that anything that you have now, may not be present in your life in the next moment. For a split second I took it for granted. It was a harsh reminder and I had to turn back to the words of Eckhart Tolle (as I have looked at his book a few years ago and it was then a strong source of strength when I was going through a difficult period) talking about the "power of now". Another quote (and I don't know who said this) that rings true is: "What you do today is important, because you are exchanging a day of your life for it." (Unknown). The words reminded me that I needed to bring myself back to the "present moment" and that thoughts from the past bring suffering, when what you have to do is look at this moment, and what you have now, and work with this. Not react to what has gone.

Now we also forget that each day is an energy exchange, the universe is giving us this day, as a gift, for us to do what we want (more often than not) and yet I see how many of us are just floating along, within no desire, dream or ambition. Or annoyance with what we do have, yet not doing anything to change that situation. My ambition actually relates to helping others in a way. I love to see people energetically vibrating at the highest resonance of their being, why, because I want to do that for myself. I want to live in the highest resonance of my being, that is "love" towards - firstly myself - and then giving that to the elements that make up my life (family, friends, work, environment, etc). I guess it's because I truly see that life is a big drama, like a movie and that we have no idea when "The End" will strike . So why wouldn't I want to live MY best day today?

So if truly today was it, would you be happy with where your life is at today!? If not, you know what you have to do. Make that plan, take those baby steps, but don't regret the greatest gift you have, this moment, and as much of a cliche as this is, this is truly why it is also known as the "present." Be happy people. It's so-so important.