Your Right--A Life Fully Appreciated

Several years ago i had a major dream. I was at my law school reunion with my closest law school buddies and their partners (mostly wives). Everyone had achieved a certain level of success that comes with practicing one's craft for twenty years; partnerships, district attorneys, federal public defenders. I was the only one who wasn't practicing law. We all took turns explaining our professional lives. And because it was my dream i got to go last. When it was my turn i was extremely embarrassed because i had given up law to raise a family, lived in Barcelona with my children for six months and chased a small brown man (my teacher, don Miguel Ruiz) around Central America and still had no idea of who i was or what i was supposed to do. In my little mind i was a mess but much to my surprise, everyone thought i had the most wonderful life. After my mini-presentation everyone wanted to know how i had "escaped" the law and created such a fantastic life. It was so contrary. In my dream i had this awareness that i had a wonderful life but i also had the awareness that i was missing sooooo much because i wasn't actually appreciating my life.

My how times have changed. I'm sitting in my apartment in Paris on a Saturday night, alone and ecstatically happy. Why? I have no idea. Maybe it was because i spent 4 hours drawing a most beautiful human or maybe it was because i went out with my french friends for coffee after wards, or maybe it was because i cooked the most wonderful dinner for myself followed by a most wonderful dessert bought from the no. 3 bakery in Paris (according the sign posted outside) or maybe it is because the rain is tickling the roof in my apartment and i am a little giddy from that. What matters is that there has been a profound transformation from needing a reason to appreciate my life to not needing anything except what is present to one hundred percent, down-on -my-knees, ecstatically enjoy, appreciate, love my life.

I wish for each person who reads this message to know that a life completely happy for no external reason is not only completely possible, but it is your right.