Ask?

Go ahead, ask yourself what you see, what you feel, what you want. 
   Even though I see a stack of pizzas on top of a mountain covered by rivers, glaciers, lakes and meadows, with a warn August sunset, surrounded by all my friends, I'm not going to expect that to happen. But if I do imagine a mountain with me on top, I may ask, how do I get there? Do I need to train my body, learn the "ropes" and get the appropriate gear? Is this something I do alone or do I need a buddy, and if so, is there a community or group that could help me along the way? Then I may ask myself the most important question, what is stopping me?
   Not everyone wants to climb a mountain, but everyone has a mountain to climb. How and if we get to the top is greatly dependent on our choices. One the greatest tools I have come upon is asking. By asking what we want and what it would take to get there, empowerment is born. The power that can "remove" yourself from the things stopping you, so even if you don't accomplish your goal, you know you did your best. If nothing else, we are empowered to ask the next question, to take the next step. This is not an easy task, for our loudest critic is often ourselves, but when questioned, even it will give an answer. When we know we have done all we can, that we didn't hold ourselves back, a sense of peace comes over the outcome, and the word failure loses its meaning.
   Stepping back, what I mean "removing" yourself is, in essence, not giving a damn what others think. If I want to learn how to surf, I'm not going to be embarrassed if I don't stand up on my first wave, I'll enjoy the learning process, push myself at my own pace, and stand when the time comes. My first painting won't make it into a museum but I can appreciate and grow from the experience by asking what the process means to me.
   No one is great at everything, but everyone can give it a try. Furthermore, there is always a starting point if we ask, it is the end that is dependent on us. So now I'll ask, what do you have to lose? Embarrassment? Failure? Or how about an opportunity? A passion? A mountain? The only person that misses from not asking is the one who doesn't hear the answer.

The Re-gift

When it comes down to it, the brain is nature's gift to us, and living a passionate, appreciative and happy life is our gift to nature.

Picture From

The answer

Poulsbo, WA

The wind hugged the granite walls the day he asked the question.
The response did not startle, scare or settle him. No, on that day, the response became him.
He opened his eyes, and while stooping down to run his fingers through the dewy grass, he took in a deep, crisp breath. The sun had creased the rocky, snow bitten mountains and met him in the eyes. The foothills darted in his vision, small ravines and valleys coating them from the millenia of battling atmosphere and inhabitants. The mist above them radiated against his skin. He could feel the moisture getting sucked up by the shoots of a douglas firs that surrounded him at all times.
A small, maroon bellied bird chirped freely as it curved around him and slid on the face of the cliff several feet in down from him. The bird spread its wings and soared with the freedom he knew lived in every daydream and fantasy, now just soaking up the morning light. As it entered a flock, the clouds had become commanding and drew him in the distance. He was in awe of the condensing air, but why not?
His feet splashed against the creek that ran beside him, the twigs and rocks sprawled around had made several simple dams that couldn't be recreated with the elegance that he saw.
There were many tubes of blue ooze just like this one running up the jutting hunks of tectonic plate. Their trails held more adventure than anyone dared, yet innately were drawn, to take. They popped out of the mountains with power, but never took the grasp from them. He could only imagine them as kings towering over their land.
The vast body of blue caught his glance, planning a dramatic exit. The mist flowed over his fingers, took him skimming over the surface, and put him on the shore. It then swirled up, around, and off the watery mirror, revealing everything he just imagined, in a way not a single word could hang onto. The beauty of life stared back at him wherever the sun uncovered. The edgy mountain he stood on was more taking than he pictured. Especially without him on it.
He saw everything that he admired was  much older and wiser than he, looking up to the stars more nights than he and everyone before him. He was no longer important, not king over anything, he was a explorer of something much bigger than himself; the weight of life was melting off of him. This made him feel more important than ever. The serenity of the moment was all he needed to smile.
Lucky enough to live a full life.
To experience the rapid changes and shortfalls.
And to appreciate everything that everything else on the planet could not.

Alive.