Chapter 44: Nurturing My Human, Part 2: Keep on Rowing

It is time once again to Stew on this! Even when I am not 100% certain where I am going or if I am getting there, I know that I can always row row row back to my heart.

In this chapter, I continue my dive into the song Row Row Row Your Boat for its wisdom and guidance regarding self-love and evolution. I kindly refer you to Chapter 43 for the complete background…

I have been paying close attention to keeping my oars in my own boat this week. I have discovered that I not only tend to put them in other people’s boat and the world’s boat, I put them in the past’s boat and the future’s boat. I also still put them in the “USS Should and Shouldn’t.”

Generally, one could say I still have my oars in God’s boat an awful lot.

This realization, though I find it a bit annoying, has reminded me that oar reclamation will likely be an ongoing, lifelong project for me. And I am more than OK with that.

Indeed, our song begins with a call to “row row row.” One row is obviously not enough.

Even with my oars in my boat, heading gently down the stream (the subject of my next chapter), to best take care of my human, the journey requires me to row row row. To keep on keepin’ on. To continually practice and apply my physical, emotional and spiritual blissipline.

I intend to row row row, whether things in my stream seem good, bad or indifferent.

As humorist Will Rogers said, “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”

Believe me, as I continue my 70^th trip around the sun, and continue the conscious spiritual path I have been on for half of those trips, there have been many times I have wondered, “Am I not there YET? Can’t I stop now?”

I have indeed taken some breaks. And each time I have, I remember why I choose to row row row.

Why? For one thing, the world continues to be the world and people continue to be people. This inevitably offers many opportunities for me to find my heart and to stay resilient.

My chiropractic worldview has my stream going in the exact opposite direction from most of the world’s stream, so some extra rowing on my part will undoubtedly be necessary.

More importantly, I choose to row row row because over the years I have developed some mechanisms, habits and tendencies that do not nurture my human very much.

When going down a literal stream, there are always eddies and flat spots I must row through. In my life, I complicate matters further. Every time I give away and then reclaim my oars, it takes some extra rowing to get back on track. Every time I choose to head upstream for some reason, I have to row to turn myself around. Every time I get distracted by events or appearances and get stuck on the banks of the stream, I have to row to get back into the flow.

There are also times when I lose sight of where I am going or lose faith that I can get there – or that I am getting anywhere, for that matter. Man oh man, it is good to be able to pick up the oars and merrily row along, even in those times.

So yes, I choose to row row row no matter what, so I can row when I really need to.

Even when I am not 100% certain where I am going or if I am getting there, I know that I can always row row row back to my heart. Back to the island of peace in my soul.

Also, my willingness to row row row allows me to share my gifts even when I have no clue whether they are having any impact or not. It allows me to live my mission.

Mother Teresa had a row row row attitude. Though, according to her diaries, she lived in constant doubt about what she was doing, she still lived these words that were posted on her ashram wall:

“People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway”

My friend and mentor Jim Sigafoose was a champion rower, too, inspiring thousands of chiropractors for five decades despite his own introversion and shyness, often speaking in front of not-necessarily-friendly audiences.

And so was Bob Weir, who just made his transcendence. Bob may have done more live performances than any musician in history, first with the Grateful Dead for thirty years, then in various incarnations of the band for another thirty years. Apparently, he had some measure of stage fright before every single one of his thousands of performances.

Like Mother Teresa and Sigafoose (who would laugh heartily at being included in the same sentence as Mother Teresa), Bob Weir’s mission kept him rowing. And he brought tremendous joy to millions, including himself.

Indeed, the song itself reminds me of the main reason I choose to row row row - it promises four merrily’s for every three rows. Where would I find a better deal than that?

When I choose to row row row, I always experience more joy. And I always take better care of my human.

I intend to keep my boat’s nose pointed gently down the stream, and row a bit each day. In that way, I will be sure to keep moving my awareness, my understanding, my choices, and MY LIFE, merrily toward love.

Stew on that, and I will see you next time, a bit further down the stream.

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