Thoughts on Boyhood and the Simple Lessons of Life

I watched Boyhood the other night. It was cold and gray outside, snow and ice filled the ground. When the movie started, I wanted to stop it. Thoughts like, I should watch a light-hearted comedy filled my mind.

Yet, I persisted. What unfolded in front of me was a unique glimpse into the simplicity of life. The truth of the imperfectness that this life sometimes is. It was beautiful. I balled my eyes out.

Lately, I’ve been tripping out on how much our choices affect the course of our life. I often say that choice is our super power. I mean it. Every day we make choices and these choices create consequences and a path that ends up being our life.

Sometimes it’s exciting and adventurous and other times it’s not so glamorous.

I think most everyone hopes that they were a famous and influential person in their past lives. Yet, most of us have had many, many lives and the truth is that we’ve lived simple existences and learned hard lessons. Even in this life, most of us want grand purposes. Often, your purpose may be simple. It may be to fully be YOU, to open your heart, to share your love, and to let the people around you know how much you love them.

I had a past life regression once. I was a Native American chief on horseback. I’d been fooled by some enemies that pretended to befriend me. I was called away from my family and tribe to an isolated place and ambushed. I had an arrow in my back. I was atop my horse, slumped over, and I knew that I was dying.

In those final moments of my death, I felt great regret, great sadness. I had not followed my knowing and made some poor choices that led to me abandoning my family and leaving them unprotected and in harm’s way.

I rode my horse to the edge of a nearby river and I slid off, and lay my body in the water. With eyes full of tears, and a heart full of grief, knowing that I had not fulfilled my mission and I was leaving my family alone, my soul left my body and I died.

I share this with you today because sometimes, as this story and the movie Boyhood illustrates, sometimes, we don’t make the best choices. We don’t achieve our dreams or goals. Sometimes, we end up heartbroken, alone, and with a life that feels unfulfilled.

It can seem depressing. Yet, it’s true. Sometimes, life is glamorous. Sometimes, it’s not. It all comes down to what we’re willing to choose.

This is why I do the work that I do in the world. I teach people to tune in, know their truth, and follow their guidance. And even if things don’t work out the way we want, if we look from a higher perspective, there’s always a lesson learned, always something beautiful to be gained even in the most tragic of circumstances.

In Boyhood, the movie, or your own boyhood or girlhood, too, you’ve learned lessons. Take those lessons now and make powerful choices that are heart opening, full of risk, and daring.

Don’t choose safety, the status-quo, or the mundane. Open yourself to life. Even if you make mistakes and die alone, you will know that you gave your all and loved big.

For in the end, whether you’re a movie star who made a million bucks, a deadbeat dad who dies alone, or a great warrior who did his best, the only thing that matters is whether you made a choice for love.

Let go of your fear. Live in a place of open-hearted love. Even when it’s scary and it sucks.

Sometimes, life is boring. Sometimes, the sky is gray and the air is cold. All seems to be in contraction.

Your purpose? Stay open.

All my love,

xo

Rachel Claire