Reflection and The Dream To Be

What a time to be.

Fear, uncertainty, and all manners of questioning abound.

But also…

If one looks close enough, for those willing, I believe there’s something else to be found.

For me, learning to observe with another lens is not something that’s come easily. But rather, it’s something that I’ve put deliberate time and energy into developing and honing. And since I’ve taken the time to develop this skill, I’d like to take a moment to share with you, those who’ve I’ve known, and those who’ve I personally lived with and loved, what it is that I see, in the chaos, that it must feel to others, that surrounds each and every one of us now, including you and me.

So, what is it that I see?

Beauty.

I see beauty.

I see poetry.

And I see transformation.

I’ve found that when one’s able to adjust one’s lens to one’s environment, the hard cold realities of the world don’t need to seem to be, quite so cold or quite so hard. And even in the ugliest of hardships, misfortunes, or tragedies… If one wants, I KNOW beauty can be found.

So what is it that I feel I see in these the immediate times of the now?

I see a prime moment.

PRIME.

Like math.

An original moment. A moment unlike any other to come before it, and any other to come after. A moment only comparable with itself and with that from whence it came – it’s source, the one, the only, the All. Or whatever combination of letters and symbols you happen to feel most comfortable using.

I believe this moment is truly unique, and it’s us, it’s we, that are here to choose what it is we do with this moment. A moment of moments. A pivotal period in the timeline of human kind. A defining time. A prime time.

And I’m extremely excited to BE, during this time.

I’ll say again that learning to observe with another lens is not something that’s come easily, but it’s something that I would like to share with you all, that I’m extremely deeply happy to have come to understand how to practice.

Because for me, it’s only been possible to understand what I think I understand, and what I think I know, because of this skill.

And it’s incredibly important to me.

For me, the way that I developed this skill, was through a deceptively simple word. A word that I feel is worthy of a more than overly scrupulous examination. A word that I would like to encourage everyone to think upon, for at least a brief moment. A word for words.

Reflection.

Reflection for me has been many, many things. And sadly, I attest, that I avoided practicing it for far too long. In fact, I’ve only really practiced any consistent form of reflection for just the last 3 years or so. The last 3 years during which I know for myself, that during that time, is when I truly found myself. My self that I had no idea prior… that I’d somehow lost.

Most of you should know, that it was when I discovered that I’d lost myself, that this is when I began designing and building an indie video game detailing some of my experience. This project is still what occupies most of my time. And I’ve enjoyed, and been frustrated, for every second of it.

I’m still working on it to this day, and for the moment, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So for a second, I would like to reflect on how I feel about this.

I believe that for some, to dream, is the only way to truly live. And for me, that’s how I like to think that I feel for myself most of the time. Because after all, what’s life without a dream to dream? A passion to pursue? A carrot to chase? Something to fail at, and of course, something to achieve.

I love chasing my dream. Whether or not it’s ever fulfilled. And I wouldn’t rather spend my days in any other way. And for this, I know, I’m truly grateful.

I believe that everyone ought to be able to determine for themselves, what “living life to the fullest” actually means for themselves. And for me, it absolutely includes all of the imagining, of all of the infinite possibilities, that ‘could’ possibly, and potentially exist for oneself. And then afterwards, deliberately choosing, and chasing the dream of one’s own choice. A dream of one’s own design. A pursuit of one’s own happiness.

And so now that we’re here, I’m overjoyed to report, that chasing a dream of my own design is exactly the life that I’ve been able to live for the past, almost 2 years now.

I consider myself extremely lucky, and incredibly fortunate.

I live, I dream, I strive.

And it’s beautiful.

It’s everything I could’ve hoped for, and everything I could’ve wished for. I’m fulfilled every day. And I’m grateful to have tasted this life. The life of my dreams.

And that’s what I feel as I reflect upon these things today.

And I believe that it’s reflection, that’s afforded me these, the best times of my life.

So, in these, the prime time of our lives. The prime moment of our people, our understandings, and our very way of being, what is it that I feel that I see?

I see beauty, I see poetry, and I see transformation.

I see a year.

2020.

And I see what twenty-twenty means to me.

I see hindsight.

I see understanding.

I see mirroring.

And I see REFLECTION.

My friends, my family, my loved ones, I believe there’s never been a greater time for reflection, and all of the simple rewards, that I personally know for myself, that only sincere reflection can bring.

So I intend to reflect as well as I can, as we all take our steps forward through the perilous and uncertain times ahead. And I intend to be, the only way that I know to be, to be me. To dream, and to continue to dream. To live THE dream. For I know that this is what it is, to truly be me. And there’s never been a greater time for all of us to truly BE.

Success, is only a succession of failures. And each and every failure is only another opportunity.

I have so much love for you all.

Thank you for allowing me to BE.

Dream the dream.

Be.

-Love

-jamesdainger