We are the ones we've been waiting for...

I read an excerpt from "Meditations from the Mat," which has a quote from a Hopi elder from the 1999 Summer Solstice in Arizona that has been on my mind lately. It said:

"There is a river flowing now, very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and suffer greatly. Know that the river has its destination. The elders say we must push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open and our heads above water. See who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves, for the moment we do that, our spiritual growth comes to a halt. The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves; banish the word 'struggle' from your attitude and vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred way and in celebration. We are the ones we've been waiting for."

What I find so compelling about this statement is the truth behind it. We can all feel the restlessness within our own lives. Something is happening to everyone I talk to. The feeling that there must be something more, that life has to mean more than going to a decent paying job everyday, buying more things, and present ourselves as successful beings only to come home empty and depleted. Living lives of quiet desperation. Each and everyone of us knows deep inside that we are meant for more, if we could just find the courage to step into the canoe and see what magic lies ahead. If we could let go of our need to to hold onto our egos, our need for control, and lay our trust into the universe and each other.

I know that if each one of us started taking small steps towards the canoe, we would become a light unto each other. Giving all those around us the permission to also take risks, and consequently to shine even brighter. The time is now, we are the ones we've been waiting for.