Just a ride

"It's just a ride." So said young comedian Bill Hicks. Sound familiar? (Did I hear don Miguel in the back of the room?) Bill reminds us:

"The world is like a ride in an amusement park. And when you choose to go on it, it feels real, because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down, and round and round, and it has thrills and chills, and it's very brightly colored, and it's very loud. And it's fun--for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question: 'Is this real, or is this just a ride?' And other people, have remembered, and they come back to us, and they say, 'Hey--don't worry, don't be afraid, ever, because it's just a ride!' And we kill those people...It's just a ride, and we can change it anytime we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings and money; a choice, right now, between fear and love."

We are each living the dream of our life. Our dream is made up of our beliefs, our interpretations, our agreements, and those that we have learned from others. We can look at the drama from many perspectives. I can second-guess my decisions, I can worry about whether I'm doing everything right. I can do that very well; I've done it for much of my life. But I'm getting more of a glimpse of the "ride" from the car where my fellow passengers are screaming with glee with their hands up in the air, instead of the one where everyone is white-knuckled and puking in mid-air.

Today a situation arose that normally would cause me more anxiety. Instead, I was able to laugh about it. It's part of a larger situation--one where I know I'm doing what's right, but it's unknown territory and could be scary. But, if I screw up a little bit on the execution of it...I'll say "Oops!" and remember that "It's only a ride." And I used to hate roller coasters.