Post #6-And I Think to Myself....What a Wonderful World!

This morning in the gym (yes the dreaded workout after a long holiday weekend of eating like a pig), I heard the song “It’s a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. There’s no question that this song is an American classic and Louis Armstrong’s version is by far most people’s favorite version or at least the version of which they are most familiar. However, for years this song made me sad. Even as a child I would hear this song and feel a gray cloud of sadness come over me, but could never quite understand why….until I started doing my work.

“Do the work” has become one of my mantras (that along with “It’ll work if you work it!”). I actually mumbled it to myself as I was awakened by my alarm at 6:30am and rolled out of bed to do my daily meditation and devotion. Doing the work has meant a lot of things, however it can be summed by simply saying that the depths of our psyches and souls (actually, psyche is the Greek work from which we derive the English word soul) are filled with infinite mystery, most of which so many of us will live our entire lives without ever encountering the beauty and wisdom of.

There are a few myths and urban legends surrounding the percentage of brain power the average person actually uses (usually stated to be about 10% ). While neurological research isn’t quite ready to affirm that number, I personally believe, and psychologists agree, that our minds (distinct from our brains) and personality are complex entities with the ability to unlock doors and answer questions to our current and past behavior and life experiences. And if we spend the time “doing the work,” that is using spiritual and psychological tools to seek answers within ourselves, we can be amazed at what we find lurking in there, creating roadblocks to the life of wholeness and happiness that we so richly desire. 

So, in doing my work I discovered that my life in rural Arkansas, while offering many good attributes, had a profound affect on my sense of being and identity in the world. My “restless spirit” has always led to an insatiable curiosity about the world. I have always, even as a young child, seen myself as a citizen of the world, thirsting to go and see and do and experience. However, much of my childhood was spent in isolation as a latchkey child, down a dusty dirt road, with none of the modern luxuries such as cable television or Internet. We didn’t even have a cordless phone or answering machine until I was a teenager! What we did have was television that only picked up local network affiliates, but there were times when only one or two of them could be picked up with our antenna. This isolation one of many components that left me feeling alone and lonely, separated from the larger world that I could only access through limited television exposure.

I LONGED to be out of that town, away from that dirt road, experiencing real life (to the point I would even sit and look up different cities in encyclopedias…remember the actual hardcover kind?). So, when I would hear Louis Armstrong sing about a world filled with beauty and wonder, it would break my heart and nearly bring me to tears because I felt so distant from it, while aching to be a part of it so badly. This feeling has resurfaced many times in life reeking havoc and mayhem, destroying relationships and manifesting in bad choices as I struggled with insecurity and the feeling of being left out. But it wasn’t until last year as I set in the ruins of a failed relationship and I started to do the work, meditating and learning and practicing many of the principles I’m passing on to you, that it became as clear as the clouds of blue that Louis sings about in that iconic song.

Why am I telling you all of this? I’ve often said that a smart person learns from their mistakes, but a wise one learns from the mistakes of others. I challenge you to be wise….use my life, my failures, my disappointments and my lessons to live your best life.  Wake up and become aware! Examine your life and know thyself! Find your authentic self and love it, live it and be it in the world (for those of you who read the May 26 post, I haven’t forgotten…I still owe you a better working definition of authenticity and practical steps to how to live it. Look for it tomorrow!). 

I leave you with these questions….what is lurking within the depths of your soul…what memories, insecurities, defense mechanisms, or hang ups are blocking your way to success, joy and peace. Find them, excavate them and be rid of them once and for all. In other words, “do the work, “ because……

This is not the end of your story. Your best days are not behind you, they are ahead of you. If you commit to doing the work your life will only grow sweeter and you’ll position yourself for #bigthingscoming!

Do the Work!

 ~Ray

NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read my first introductory post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash tag #bigthingscoming. 

(Copyright, 2013, Ray Jordan)