Changing Currency in Life - Depositing Richness
So last weekend I threw my back out at ecstatic dance.
Before I go on with that story… here is a million dollar question… (pun intended)
What is your currency in life?
The way to discover that is to reflect on the day you just had or your past week and ask your heart, “If I could only take only ONE MEMORY with me what memory would that be?
After you’ve asked yourself this enough times, notice what the common thread is with these moments. THAT is your currency!
(NOTE: that deposits of other currency in your bank other than your TRUE currency will be irrelevant to you in the long term.)
I’ve had several currency switches in my life. To me a currency switch is a pretty big deal. At the root of is it the sometimes horrible realization that I’ve been measuring life the wrong way! That’s like spending countless hours and dollars collecting Classic Barbie dolls only to realize that the bottom has fallen out of the vintage Barbie doll market and they are worthless! YIKES! (no, I don’t collect Barbie dolls)
My first currency in life was accomplishments. It has been a slow turn from accomplishments (checking something off my To Do list) towards relationships. Even landing in relationships as my currency had to evolve from “how many relationships and with who” to “quality of relationships.”
So that means… know your true currency and don’t labor endlessly for another “experience.”
so back to Lori’s reckless behavior…
If you’d seen how I was dancing, you would not be surprised I threw my back out. They don’t call it “ecstatic” for nothing. Anyhow, when I reflect on the whole 2 hours of dance and pull out the moments of richness to deposit in my bank... they are …
You might think it was the dancing, but it wasn’t really. The minutes before I threw my back out I was singing at top of my lungs Aretha’s song, Freedom, with another dancer. The moment I pull out for its richness is the moment when I caught the other dancer’s eye, bonded in this moment of joy.
Then my back went out.
The next moment of richness was standing on the edge of the gym floor a few minutes later (the dancers are all still going probably unaware of my dilemma). When I felt my back pull and the pain, I hobbled to find my friend on the busy dance floor (she’s a healer fortunately). She went to stand with me at the edge of the gym. There was a moment, my friend had her hand on my lower back standing to my right and another women who I did not know came to stand beside me to the left. In silence without even catching her eye (the unknown woman to the left), I lightly held her hand. I’m having this profound moment of connection and healing and the dance floor is still going crazy with dancers deep into their own dance. (Something about my moment of stillness within a room of chaos that makes me smile).
I have no idea who the woman was to my left, she danced off after a few minutes. However, the sweet moment, standing between these two women, tears pouring down my cheeks is a moment I will remember...
A moment of sweet connection with another human being.
That’s my currency! I know this is my currency because if I get to the end of the day without any of these moments… it’s like the day lacks any sparkle or richness… it’s as if the day passed into anonymity. Even knowing this is HUGE! I’ll ask myself in the beginning of the day do I have any opportunities for sweet connection today? If I don’t I’ll try to make sure one happens…
What moments stand the test of time for you? What moments make your Spirit joyful?
