After you have danced, really present in the moment, it can feel like no time has passed. When we are absorbed in a conversation or very present while reading a book, time seems to evaporate. When we are done, it’s as though only a moment has gone by.
Quantum physics has shown that linear time is an illusion. Time just is. We move through time; time doesn’t move through us. Our human brains can only perceive time as linear. But in ultimate reality there is no past or future; everything is happening in the present moment. Now is all there is.
Maybe it’s because I am vain, maybe it’s because I don’t like what “age” means in our society, but I don’t want to hear all the negativity about age. Age should mean that we know MORE and that we are KINDER because of it. It should mean that, because we’ve had a lot of practice, we are BETTER at being human than we were when we were younger. It should mean that we are more tolerant. As we age, all of our mistakes pile up, but also what we learned from those mistakes makes us who we are now. It makes us humbler, more compassionate, and better at what we do. I’m planning to dance forever.
In Biology 101 we learned that all of our cells replicate our same DNA over and over again. That is the job of the cells, to replicate exactly. There is no reason age should mean decline, unless we think it does.
I know an elderly man who said, in a fit of temper, “I’m going to get dementia!” He was perfectly in his right mind until he convinced himself that it wouldn’t last. His body and mind believed his words and I watched as he declined.
I don’t believe in decline. I believe in practice. When we practice compassion, physicality, joy, love—practice makes us better at it.
The question is not how many years you have been in this body on this planet, but how old do you feel?
You are your spirit and your spirit is ageless.
You are ageless.
Beautifully written and incredibly inspiring my friend. All I can say is AMEN.
ReplyDeleteLove you,
Elayne
love YOU! And thanks, Elayne!
DeleteYES! Becoming wiser, more compassionate, more patient, and kinder are some of the benefits of living to which I know I aspire. I have noticed over all of the years that I've spent in a dance studio that there is ALWAYS someone in their 90s at the barre! Dancers dance their entire lives, which is why they look so fabulous, have clear minds, and are joyful. Could all of that "time" spent dancing, when we are unaware of the "passage of time," be time "standing still?" That would explain why we dancers don't "age" at the same pace as others seem to age.... Just a thought! Love this, Susie, and love you. xo
ReplyDeleteLove that--"Time standing still because we are dancing" thought, Jo Ann! Thanks! xxox
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