Striving

Dearest Readers,

As part of the project I'm currently working on, I have spent the last 3 days in a recording studio overseeing the artistic direction of a Yukon Anthem, which I co-wrote with a brilliant young musician named Bryce Kulak. We've been having a ball.

I'm a closeted songwriter. People often say to me, "It's so amazing that you're actually living your dream!" But the truth is, my dream is to be a rock star. I love singing and I love writing songs but my attempts to play guitar made it clear that I was better off staying in the closet, singing my little ditties to my sweater collection.

All that to say, having the opportunity to sit in a recording studio and observe the bevy of hugely talented Yukon musicians we've brought in to sing on the anthem is the absolute bees knees.

The song we've written is called "Live in Peace". Listening to all of these singers bring the words to life, over and over, hour after hour, is not only inspiring, it's sounding the call. Live in Peace. This is a call to all of us.

And it's a high call. Perhaps the highest call of all. Because in order to live in Peace we must practice Unconditional Love. Unconditional Love means no judgment. This is a tall order. Okay, it's bigger than a tall order. It's an XXX-Large-Super-Size-Venti order. Which is why I call it a practice. Because we can't do it perfectly.

When I was sixteen I did an Outward Bound course. Outward Bound is an outdoor "school" that teaches leadership and team-building skills. I did the course (a 21-day adventure north of Thunder Bay, ON) over twenty years ago but I have never forgotten their motto: "To Serve, to Strive, and not to Yield."

I love this. When I think of the call to Live in Peace, the call to live free of judgment and intolerance toward ourselves and others, I think of the second part of the Outward Bound motto. To Strive.

The dictionary on this computer describes striving this way: "Make great efforts to achieve or obtain something." Great efforts. Effort means "a vigorous or determined attempt." Attempt.

There is nothing about perfection in these definitions. Just make a go of it. Give it a shot. Do the best you can. Practice.

When we present the show next month our song will be launched into the world for your listening pleasure. I hope you sing it with us.

Inspiring Message of the Day: I can strive to practice Unconditional Love. When I make that effort, which is great, I get to experience what it truly means to Live in Peace.