A very astute blog reader recently wrote to me with an interesting comment. “I’ve noticed that you usually capitalize the “L” in Life. That’s cool, but I wonder why.”
Here’s my why.
I believe there are those who live life and those who live LIFE. The difference between the two is intention, attention, and a sense of sacredness. The best example I can give is the difference between god and God. By capitalizing the “G”, there is an immediate reverence that takes place, a sense of holiness, and a feeling of awe. The essence is changed immediately from generic to specific, from many to one. The One.
I feel that way about Life.
It is the difference between jet skiing and scuba diving. Jet skies cover a tremendous area by expediently skimming the surface. Scuba divers, however, tend to go deeper, more slowly, and focus on a more specific amount of space. One is about speed, the other about depth.
Now, I can most definitely be a highly impressive jet skier. I can breeze through a lot of daily life quickly, efficiently checking off the next item on the to-do list. Give me a deadline and I’m more likely to be early than on time. Jet skiing is a practical way of getting through busy days, and it definitely propels me forward more expeditiously. But I don’t really like staying in jet-ski mode. It’s hard to truly take in the view, to study my surroundings, to find a point of intrigue and just hover for awhile. And quite frankly, it wears me out.
I’m grateful that I was born with a scuba diver’s soul. I’ve always been a questioner, not in a challenging way but because I’m truly and sincerely curious about how you are. I prefer going deeper with a few than staying surface level with many. Give me a lively, active party or a bottle of wine on the deck with a friend, and I’ll always choose the deck. I am drawn to understanding others’ “Why”, the reasons behind their decisions and choices and intentions.
When I focus on Life with a capital L, it is a reminder. It serves as a signal to my brain (and my soul), to take time to breathe deeply and inhale the magic. To live in a state of absolute awe and astonishment. To show deference to the ability I have to CHOOSE how passionately and intentionally I live.
I have made the decision, the commitment, to live Life with a capital L, to view Life as a loved one, a cherished relationship to be nurtured and grown. Life is immense and mysterious and messy and real. It is not about the daily dishes, the reports that need to be in on time, or washing the dogs yet again. Those are parts of a lower case l life….what we do on a daily basis to get us from point A to point B. But Life with a capital L is different. It deserves reverence and contemplation .
When I spend time with Life, I feel a sense of openness, of expansion, as if all things are magical, mystical and possible. I am more attuned to seeing the connections between all of us, rather than only my private corner of the world.
Life with a capital L brings to me the huge concepts of wonder, as in God, Cosmos, Universe, Humanity, Love… the thoughts and ideas without boundaries. The good stuff. The stuff that really matters most.
I want to live in a state of wonder. I CHOOSE to live in a state of wonder. I am enraptured by the miracle of birth, our quests for finding meaning, how we celebrate our milestones and Life markers, and even how we say our final goodbyes.
Soulprints was born out of the desire to help us all live Life with a capital L, to increase our intentional living, to be more mindful of what we value, and to challenge ourselves to constantly check that we’re in alignment with those values. It is my greatest wish for each of us.
SOULPRINTS 