Go On and Make a Joyful Sound - Lessons From My Guardians and Spirits



And somewhere between the time you arrive
And the time you go
May lie a reason you were alive
But you'll never know  

These lyrics from the 1973 Jackson Browne song For a Dancer strike a deep chord with me.  I have been blessed in my life to have met many people who have walked along beside me - sometimes for many years, sometimes for a short time - and while we walked together they shared with me their intrinsic beauty, their insights, their earthly gifts, and their own unique wisdom. 

Whether you believe in spirit guides, divine intervention, guardian angels or kindred souls, for each of us, as we walk our solitary path in this life, there are those who share our journey with us, and if we are open and curious about the fate, destiny or serendipitous circumstances that placed each of these particular people in our path, it is my opinion that we can continue to learn, evolve, and accept and embrace the change, uncertainty, and the inevitable loss and pain that all humans must face with a sense of inner calm and peace. 

Interactions with these guides or spirits can bring us a greater understanding of ourselves, and can help us to make sense of the often seemingly random events we each encounter in our lives.  (This from a reformed concrete thinker!)  As I have written in previous blog posts, it is my belief that when we reveal who we really are with others and embrace emotional risk, our lives are immeasurably enriched.

The five figures depicted in the painting Go On and Make a Joyful Sound are people I have had the great fortune to walk with for a time.  Some walk this earth no more.  Each one has enhanced my life, made me reflect, question, and deepen my efforts to live my life with my eyes, ears, and heart wide open.  I consider them guardians or kindred spirits, and while I have actually met more than five (I know, such luck!) it is the lessons of these five that have special significance in my life today.

Some time ago, when I was questioning whether I was "fulfilling my destiny" and worrying that perhaps I was not, that I was possibly squandering my life and talents and wasting my precious time on earth, I read Anita Moorjani's book Dying To Be Me.  In it she puts forth the idea that the only purpose of each of our lives is to be our self and live our truth.  What a relief!  That, I thought, I can do. 

We may never know why we are here, why we meet the people we meet and have the experiences we do, but according to Anita, we don't need to.  Be ourselves.  Live our truth.  That's it.  A nice, short, do-able list.  I would add one thing to that list, and that is pay attention when a guardian angel or spirit appears in your life.  Listen to what they whisper in your ear.

Be your best, let go of the rest, stay curious, and go on and make your own joyful sound.

Along with whatever meaning you might have found
Don't let the uncertainty turn you around
The world keeps turning around and around
Go on and make a joyful sound

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