Friday, April 9, 2021 (Day 99)
Meditation Music: Soft Focus: Liquid Mind (7:25) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F6iMXz5jlc
Question: What is one of your most fun memories from childhood?
Answer: Playing sports and games with my friends in South Orange, New Jersey. I had a small group of friends that hung out together, whether it was playing wiffle ball in the Doele’s driveway or Dungeon and Dragons in the Hick’s basement. Although we were a very small group, at one point up to 9 of us, we always found ways to entertain ourselves. We used to have a wiffle ball league every summer, where we would pick our favorite baseball team (I was always the Yankees) and play a league schedule. In fact, each game was either 3 or 5 innings and we would keep track of stats. We had a pitch back net that we used to keep track of balls and strikes, as well as designated spots for doubles, triples, and home runs. There were no bases, so you didn’t have to run things out. We didn’t have a baseball field, but we did have a small local park where we played stickball, using sticks for bats and tennis balls for balls. And it was cool because we could run bases here, plus it had a fence where if we hit over it, it was a home run. That was so, so much fun. As we got older, we started getting into more intense board games, such a Risk. And then there’s Dungeons and Dragons; my last few years in high school was spent playing D & D. I LOVED that game, as it brought out the creative aspects of my brain, especially when I served as Dungeon Master, having to construct an adventure for the group. There were times when we would start on a Friday, and wouldn’t end until Sunday afternoon, playing at different homes each time. I guess our parents were fine with it, since we were always together and not getting into trouble. I would venture to say that creating adventures for my friends is no different than now, as I create tools for people to explore their lives. Those were definitely the positives and best memories from my childhood.
Other Stuff
I was looking back at a few old class notes from previous sections of our “What Could I Do With My Life” course and came across the poem, “Our Deepest Fear” by Marianne Williamson, which is one of my favorite poems. I also have a video that I use to go with it, from the movie “Coach Carter” (Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_GleoanbPE). Check out the video and poem here:
- Our Deepest Fear (from the movie, Coach Carter) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO9070EWdS4
Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us;
It’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
The Dream Dean 