I think we can all agree that we have never seen the world in such chaos! From politics to pandemics and everything in between. The collective emotions range from fear to compassion streaming through our psyche like the whirlwinds of a hurricane. Fear of dying, fear of losing control, fear of survival, fear of getting ill, fear of losing our freedoms. . . Such are the multitude of fears running rampant. Simultaneously, there are moments of quiet and stillness, likened to being in the eye of the storm because we are unable to navigate the world outside of our own abodes due to communities being on lockdown.

With all of this going on around us, we DO have choice, even though we may think we have lost it. We can choose to engage in fear and anger, or we can choose to create our own reality from that quiet still point within each of us.

I share with you this very lucid dream I recently experienced:

I am sitting in the most decadent royal box seat of a theater surrounded by multiple stages. There are numerous plays going on simultaneously upon each of these stages with the most realistic backdrops I have ever seen. What a deal! One ticket and multiple shows! I get to choose which plays to watch. There are times I am drawn into a particular drama, fully engaged with the storyline. There are other times I’m observing several stages simultaneously. There are times I create my own character and walk into the play, remain in the story as long as I choose, and then exit stage right. And there are times I settle into my plush seat with a glass of champagne and simply observe it all.

In the wee hours of the morning, in my semi-awakened state of being, I realized THIS, this is how I am experiencing life now. I am observing the world as a theater with many different stages. I’m aware that each person has chosen their role in their own storyline. Some are playing their parts consciously, others are unconsciously following someone else’s script. No matter how many stages are playing out, I get to be the unbiased observer. I can choose whether or not to engage in any of the ongoing dramas, some of which have been playing out for eons of time. Whereas, others are newly created narratives in search of good reviews. Or, I can choose the joy of skipping through fields of daisies, splashing through puddles, and singing with the wind, unaware of anything other than this precious moment.

No matter what is going on in the World Theater, I get to choose my own seat. Whether it be as an observer in the royal box, one of the seats on the main floor with family and friends, or a character on any one of the numerous stages. One ticket to planet Earth, many choices! As such, I get to create my own reality within each and every moment.

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~Sharon Lyn Shepard~

Artwork by Annelie Solis