If Shakespeare was right when he wrote: “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players” then why not play the lead?
Are you taking centerstage in the play of your life?
Some of us live our lives as if we have been given a cameo appearance in the second act. We treat someone or something else as the main character of our own story.
Some of us spend our lives waiting for our entrances, worried that we don’t remember our lines, are not wearing the right costume, are not standing in the right place. From this uneasy stance we are careful not to take focus, always asking ourselves what someone more accomplished or famous or talented would do.
But we are the most accomplished most talented most famous people in our own stories. We are each the stars of our own life.
I am not advocating narcissism or a selfish focus on “me”. I am talking about feeling the power of permission to think and feel from the center.
It is my belief that if we stand at the hub of our own experience we will be more grounded and therefore more able to give of ourselves freely and fully.
From the center we can be courageously generous. Starring in our own experience we can be absolutely ourselves and from that central place we can inspire and encourage others to be themselves absolutely.
Many of my clients and students have given up their spot at center of their own lives, due to feelings of unworthiness or fear. They haven’t seen the green light that enables them to take the stage. Sometimes they feel as though they are still auditioning for the role of themselves but have not been granted it.
I have experienced this myself at different times of my life. In fact I think it was a sense of being on the outskirts of my own life that led me to the actual stage.
I was afraid to take focus, even in my own story. It seemed selfish to be the champion of my own tale. However I came to see that the more central I could be to my own drama or comedy the more I am able to serve. If I am on the sidelines, I am less effective and can do less for others.
Let’s use the theatre as an example:
We can Write, Direct and Act our best life.
We can be the playwright: we write our story, decide the arc, re-write the second or third act is we want a different ending.
We can be the director: we choose the genre, the scenery, the costumes and the supporting cast.
But most of all we can embrace the spotlight and be the lead actor instead of a bit player.
We have been cast in the role, we have been granted permission, the audience is ready to cheer us on. So let’s now each use our unique voice to communicate our unique truth, our unique bodies to dance our unique dance, and our unique soul to shine all the way to the back row.
Exercise: Meditation- cast yourself, see yourself center stage….