Okay, for the sake of analogy, let's say there is a free two day concert being held in New York City and everyone is invited. Some people may live close by, while others will have to travel many miles to attend. Some people will be excited and take the shortest route possible. Others might choose the scenic route enjoying the beauty of the landscape on their journey there. Some may drive the freeway in their cars, while others may decide to take back roads, bumpy roads, dirt roads even. Some may want to walk or hike through hills to get there, while still others may choose a bus, train, plane, or a combination of these.
Now, there could be people who feel they just can't make it; that their lives are way too busy to take time away from work for a leisurely concert, so they decide to listen to it on the radio, or watch the broadcast on television. Some may arrive days in advance to ensure a great seat, while others may not make it till last minute. Then there will be those who will choose not to go at all because they have no interest in music and hate large crowds, and some who's friends will persaude them to tag along. There will certainly be as many reasons and ways to experience this concert as there are people, each with their own personal story to tell.
Throughout this concert some people will have a fabulous time, while others will indeed be bored to tears. Some will regret not going, while others will be frustrated or even angry because they feel they were forced to attend. Some will be fully engaged - swaying to the music, while others will stand back and watch. Some will completely let go, while others will shrink with inhibition. In the end, everyone involved will experience this concert in their own unique way.
Life is very much like this New York City concert. How we show up - IF we show up - is our own individual choice. We can enjoy the journey or complain every step of the way. We can take responsibility or play victim. We can journey the high road or the low. We can take the easy route or the most challenging. We can show up excited - rearing to go - or dilly-dally along, affording little effort. We can go on wild adventures or simply watch them on tv. We can experience it LIVE or vicariously through others. We can fully engage or stand on the sidelines. We can take time to play or be too busy. We can surge or take it slow. We can boldly put ourselves out there or shink, hide or masquerade. It is up to us. And for most of us, we will experience many of these at different points in our life.
'Concert' means combined action; to agree to act together in harmony. Since we always have the freedom to choose for ourselves, then that means everyone's choices are absolutely perfect, we just need to blend harmoniously. Someone's particular way is not 'the' way, but simply 'a' way amongst many. We certainly can't have an orchestra using only one note. It takes the resonance of all the major and minor keys.
Let's finally master this and stand united in acceptance and honor of each other's 'arrangements.' That means no longer playing superior; no longer attempting to mute those executing a style different from our own.
Acceptance is at the core of unconditional love, anything less is simply our egotistical minds running the show. Let's go out of our minds and slip into our hearts, embracing the beauty of our solo acts and love one another. And just as there are genres of music that may not resonate with us, so too are people we may prefer to pay tribute from afar. Let's remember that just because someone chooses different lyrics than us doesn't make them wrong. We each have our own unique melody, so to speak, and we are playing it perfectly. Let's tend to our own tuning and sing our hearts out. Wouldn't that be the perfect makings for an AMAZING global crescendo?