I can’t remember when I first heard about the poem The Dash  by Linda Ellis.  What I do know is that every time I read it I renew my desire to live my life on purpose –  to continue to do work that feeds my soul, to do one thing a day that scares me (encouraging my evolution), to step into the emotions that feel difficult or uncomfortable, to let the good stuff sink in including expressing gratitude and love, and to see the possibility in whatever is showing up in my life.

Here’s the general gist of the poem.  (I encourage you to read it in its entirety here.)  On a tombstone there is a beginning date and an end date.  In between those two dates is a dash.  That tiny dash represents the fullness of your life.  The question the poem raises is what do you want to do with your dash?

The intention here is not to instill fear of the end-date (the second date on your tombstone).  Stirring up panic and a sense of scarcity of time is not the vibe I personally want to have clouding my dash.  The reality however is we generally don’t know when our end-date is coming.  We imagine living a long and fruitful life and yet anything could happen.

Here’s the approach I’ve taken.  I’ve asked myself what do I want to be doing now so that if I found out I was terminally ill and going to die within a month or two I would have some degree of ease because I had been living my life on purpose, because I had been making choices in awareness of the reality of not knowing when the end will come.  I don’t think it is possible to live without regret (the words that come of my mouth some times – yeesh!), yet I do think it is possible to minimize regret through actions like vulnerability, compassion, empathy, and a willingness to ask for re-do’s or acknowledge mistakes.

Do the people you love and who matter the most to you know it through your words and actions?

Is the work you are doing feeling your spirit – does it make your heart sing?

Are you learning from and in the discomfort that life gives?

Are you being gentle with yourself?  Do you acknowledge your self-worth?

Are you having fun?

I ask these questions not to invoke shame or a sense of “not enough”, rather they are invitations to reflect on how you are living your dash.  You are worthy and enough no matter how you are living your dash.  AND you have agency in how you live your dash.   I realize sometimes it can feel like you have anything but power and possibility in your life.  This is the gentle reminder that there is always choice.  That you can bring “creator” energy to your daily life.

Dream like you’ll life forever.  Live as if you’ll die tomorrow.  ~James Dean

I’ll be speaking on this topic on Sunday February 23rd as part of the service at the Centre For Spiritual Living Vancouver.  Please join me if you are interested in reflecting on how you live your dash.  [11 AM Creekside Community Centre, Olympic Village, Vancouver]