Your Hair Is On Fire

So, I recently discovered that this quote is not, in fact, out of Buddha’s mouth but from Insight Meditation teacher and psychotherapist Jack Kornfield 👇

Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most

Quite frankly, I don’t really care who said it (although credit where credit’s due, obviously), what I care most about is what these words have taught me.

I think these words are applicable whether you’re more into Buddha, God, The Flying Spaghetti Monster, none of the above or anything else that’s available for us to help build our faith.

I want to keep today pretty short, because I know I’ve shared a lot these past five days. A lot of time, a lot of songs, a lot of content, a lot of feelings and a lot of Sam 😂

But with the interconnectedness of everything I’ve already shared, here’s what ties it all together, I reckon.

The Buddha DID (apparently) say that we should meditate / practice as if our hair is on fire 🔥

There’s all kinds of elaborations on that concept, and it’s part of a bigger quote, and I am certainly not an expert on the teachings of Buddha so I won’t go into all the specifics.

But here’s what I think.

Final reminder. I am not a professional! I’m sharing the resources that interest and excite me. I’m sharing my thoughts, my experiences and my truths. Take what you want, leave what you don’t.

I created this 5 day online experience around the idea of “letting go of the old to make room for the new”, because that’s the theme of my song LET IT BURN. But, for me, it goes a lot deeper than just the feeling behind the song.

I’m 38 years old. That’s a fair bit of past. And, hopefully, a fair bit of future.

What I choose right now, in this moment, affects how I see my past and how I create my future.

No matter what has happened before this moment, we have the opportunity right now to make a choice (each morning we are born again)

And we MUST make a choice to learn, grow and keep moving forward (practice as if your hair is on fire)

The alternative is to stay stuck in the past, to waste the gift of the present and to rob ourselves of the future we did not actively participate in creating.

This song came out of such incredible pain and hurt. I’m not exaggerating when I say I spent more than two years healing from what was a long, confusing, traumatic relationship .… Honestly, I treated the whole thing as a full time job (while also, obviously, having a full time job 😂🎶).

I’m not telling you this for sympathy or a pat on the back - neither of those things, while lovely, are motivators for me.

I’m also not telling you this because I want to paint myself as the good guy, and some other person as the bad guy. Ugh, we really don’t need any more division in the world, do we?

I’m simply saying that, for two years, I practiced as though my hair was on fire - because it is. I don’t know how long I have left on this planet, but fucked if I’m going to let the pain of the past determine how happy, healthy and whole I am now.

It’s not easy - most things worth having aren’t.

I’m not a master at navigating life - is anyone?

But I’m willing to show up, letting the old me die every single second, choosing what’s best in the present moment, and rising up to meet my future. One tiny choice at a time.

🫶