Being Lucky

A few weeks ago, my fiancé and I went to see Sarah McLachlan at the Beacon Theater here in New York. The concert was inspiring on so many levels. She'd brought along two brilliant young singers whom she graciously featured throughout the evening. During breaks, they each talked about the humanitarian work they were doing and contributing to around the world. They laughed, they danced, they shared the spotlight, and created some of the most glorious and haunting harmonies I've ever heard.

Toward the end of the show, Sarah said- with a humility that brought a roaring hush to the crowd- "I love my job, I love my life". And I sat there, with an inspired mind, a peaceful heart, and the man I love next to me, thinking that I am so very lucky to be able to say the same thing.

That's not to say that the path from there to here's always been easy. Naming and claiming the things we want- in work, in love, and in life- take great effort of both heart and action. And the road can be long, especially if you're aiming high. The best views, after all, are generally at the end of a hard climb with not a lot of room at the top.

We all know that the best odds of arriving at our destinations, if we want to do so in one piece, come from learning how to enjoy and honor the journey. Sitting there at the concert, it was obvious that Sarah's joy, generosity, commitment, and talent were not only the fruits of her labor, but the labor itself.

We are all so lucky. We have not only the freedom to choose the paths we'll take, but the attitudes we'll carry with us along the way. This realization makes a gift of each moment, freeing up the energy, passion, and creativity to move forward with lightness and fun up the precious hill called life.

Happy climbing, my friends!