Originally posted on 3-21-11, this piece is a simple reminder that, amid the challenges and stressors of life, anything remains possible to those whose spirits remain strong and steady.  Our outlook and perceptions of life affect our outcomes…stay positive, stay determined, and stay focused, and everything will be within reach.  And above all, let’s strive to develop an awareness of ourselves; that journey will always bear fruit!  Enjoy…and don’t forget to live today. 

I could have climbed the highest

peaks and 

trudged up frozen mountains, relying

on hardened grit and steely determination.

I could have sailed the high seas,

adrift on those deep waters,

depending on courage and endurance.

We tend to say we ‘could have’, as if

we are already dead,

or as if we have no choice.

We tend to reference our dreams as random

images that only occur when our

eyes are closed, and

we tend to say no before we’ve even

considered yes.

Our ship sinks before it ever tastes

the thrill of the wind, and before it 

has ever tasted the salt of the sea.

I say that I could have explored the depths

of dense jungles and remote lands,

which is true,

but I have explored the depths of my

own soul.

I’ve trekked the high hills and low valleys

of my mind,

and swam with the wayward memories within

my heart.

And what a journey that has been.

We could spend a lifetime staring

out of the window-

pondering how our lives could be,

or could have been,

wishing a life out of thin air,

and being disappointed when

our stunted efforts lead to mist and dust, but

most never strap on the boots and

ascend those frozen rocks.

Most never raise their sails high into

the unknown wind-

most never step foot into the thick tangle

of lost jungles,

and most fail to discover the uncharted

territory that lies just beneath our skin.

And our desires slowly slip away beneath

the regions that we’re unwilling to

discover,

those darkened corners that we’re afraid to

traverse-

and we wonder.

We sit-

We wait-

We die,

having never known the true warmth of

the sun.

I could have climbed the highest peaks,

but I know that I still can.

Until then, I find satisfaction knowing

that I’ve mastered the rapids of my own heart,

crossed the glades of my own soul,

and swam with the thoughts that linger

in my mind*
-G. Boston