There’s this idea that you only live once. YOLO for short.
Then there’s the notion that we have lived many lifetimes; that we pass away and come back, ad infinitum.
But what about having multiple lifetimes in one lifetime? As I ponder this dream-reality existence I am living, it makes sense. Maybe not a ton of sense, but a fair amount, especially as a creator.
Why limit yourself to one idea over another? Why not be both simultaneously?
You live multiple times in one lifetime. Yet, you can look back and learn from your experiences, if you’ll take the time to remember.
Back in 2012, while staying in a hotel in Los Angeles, I saw a vertical banner outside a conference room. The banner showcased a man who was having a seminar. I looked at the guy on the banner and thought to myself, “I used to do that, too.”
The reality was that I still did seminars, occasionally, yet in my mind, I didn’t do them anymore.
‘Twas a strange insight for el Furecat.
The question that arose from this interlude was not, “Who am I?”
It was, “Who the hell was I?”
Then there are the mode changes throughout the course of a single day. In one moment, I am practicing martial arts, in another I am reading a book, in yet another I am writing. Who am I in each of these whirlds? The same person?
Yesterday, I was reading the words of Henry Miller. To paraphrase, he wrote that he gave up the idea of enjoying his life, opting instead to focus on expressing himself. A novel idea that only a novelist could put into words.
To enjoy your life or to express yourself? Now that is a million-dollar question.
Last week, a friend asked me how I overcome feelings of burnout or fatigue. In response I told him, “If you’re feeling fatigued, you aren’t creating anything new. But as soon as you begin creating something new, you instantly feel energized with new life.”
“That’s pure gold,” he exclaimed. “I am writing that one down.”
“Maybe I will cover that in my next seminar,” I quipped. “Come to think of it, I am contemplating the idea of having a belated birthday bash seminar later this year.”
As soon as I got the idea of holding another seminar, guess what happened? New life flowed into my veins.
What a novel idea.
Another potential lifetime inside of this one.
You only live once?
No way. At least not in this lifetime.
Matt Furey
