Wake Up and Live Today

I want you to be fully awake and not asleep in life. While I was at a speaking engagement in Belize, I went up to a vendor on the beach and asked for the perfect souvenir. He had dread locks, a thick beard, and piercing dark brown eyes. Looking at me he said, “I have the perfect thing for you, mon (man)!”  He used the word “mon” at the end of most of his sentences.

He picked up a beautifully carved wooden “tiki” type mask. Again, looking at me, he said, “This mask was made for you. Look closely at the eyes of this mask, are they opened or closed?” I told him that they were closed. He replied “You are right, mon! This is the sleeping prince. The only way that he can become a king is to wake up and remember that he is born to become a king!”

Invading my personal space, he drew closer to me. For an instant, I thought he was going to kiss me…but he didn’t! Whew! He just looked into my eyes for what seemed an hour. It was as though he could see into my soul. This made me feel somewhat uncomfortable. (Well OK, he freaked me out!) What he said next, I will always remember. “You are beautiful, mon. You are beautiful just the way you are. You must never forget this. It is time for you to wake up.  You must wake up so you can become a king. You were born for so much more, now awake my friend and become!”

I quickly said, “OK I’ll take it!”

I quickly went to my hotel and recorded this experience in my journal. It had a profound effect on me then and has ever since.

Later that day we went on a cave tubing adventure that was out of this world. On the hike into the jungle our guide found a termite nest and asked us to eat some of them. Normally, I would turn down that culinary opportunity, but I remembered that I am here to wake up and experience life in. I proceeded to eat 15 of them (yuck).  They had a minty fresh taste as I crunched their little bodies and swallowed.

Now that was a new experience!

When was the last time you did something for the first time? When was the last time you took a risk to live? I am not suggesting that you eat bugs in order to wake up and become the queen or king that God put you on this earth to become. I am, however, challenging you right now to take a risk:

• Make a big request;
• Ask for something you want;
• Forgive another person;
• Say no;
• Quit worrying about what others think;
• Quit putting yourself down;
• Let go of fear; or
• Let your love flow. 

Wake up and live today.