Being embodied is a challenge each day to stay fully present even when things may be painful or even overly joyful. One amazing aspect of being embodied, of having forgotten who we are, is forgetting that everything is connected. We focus so much on ourselves and getting through our day that we don’t realize the impact that our choices make or the fact that we choose, in a split second, to allow something to impact us instead of shrugging it off. As to free will, it can really be seen at work in this section of a soul book. Unexpected relationships are created, choices not planned or even expected impact whole relationship webs, and choices end relationships subtly or drastically through unintended consequences. Many, many times I have seen the smallest thing resonate with others in remarkable ways and then they have the choice of doing something with it or not.
For example, in a dance class I was privileged to take with an instructor that I hold in high esteem, we were asked to share a thought about our dance process. I said that to me it was an act of discovery using my own inner critical voice. I have found over the years, not just in dance, but in my life in general, there are three categories of things I do in my day. 1) What I need to do. 2) What I have to do. 3) What I get to do. Dance is most times a ‘get to’ and sometimes a ‘need to’. As long as the majority of what I’m doing with my dance process stays in the ‘get to’ realm I’m doing it right and it’s life affirming and joyous for me. When it becomes a ‘need to’ I stop for a moment and take stock of what is going on because something has gone out of balance. Regardless of what my logical mind tries to tell me, my heart uses these three terms to navigate my world and they show up in the voice in my head telling me what is on the agenda for the day. Explaining this, which to me is just me being my very ‘thinky’ self, created ‘aha’ moments all over the class which shone through their faces. My talking about this in class may have been preplanned or not, but what they chose to do with that experience, is pure free will and no script or role, or preplanning can effect it. In the end we are the captain of our voyage and the responsibility for our course lies with us.