You know, I’m starting to feel a bit more of this tug of war, so to speak, between my body and my spirit these days. It’s always been there to some degree, though perhaps because I’ve become a little more measured, for lack of a better term … it seems more pronounced … who knows?

I remember as a child my spirit soared like an eagle as my body did everything in its power to keep up. I was not afraid, my energy level was off limits and my limitations, as far as I was concerned, were non-existent.

Yes, life was a song, I was the composer and the hook had no end in sight. No rules, no reprimands … and believe me, I had no doubt that I was going to sing it forever!

That my friend is like this when the spirit is in charge … loose and fucking elegant.

But as time passed, I began to feel the gravity of life slowly building up inside me, doing everything possible to overwhelm me. Yes, the vessel … that is, my body, which houses this free-flowing spirit of mine, was slowly awakening to the fact that, unlike its occupant, it had a completely different set of circumstances to deal with. In a word … REALITY!

You know, this reality thing has a tendency to set the kidneys loose and fucking free. That is, if you allow it.

As I sit here at my computer with my mind wandering, trying to make sense of this polarity between body and spirit, I can almost hear God’s internal dialogue as he brings the spirit of humanity to life for the first time.

“Let’s see … I want to keep this simple, but not easy. I want you free but down to earth. You must fear, persevere … seek, find … cry, heal. But there is no way you are going to find the time to gain that wisdom by constantly running like crazy on earth solely as a free spirit.

So here’s the deal. I’m going to put you in a body to slow you down a bit, to give you time to figure things out. But I leave you a key … a key that will disconnect you for instant rejuvenation, motivation and dream pursuit … and believe me you are going to need it.

It takes a lot of time to unwind and be free, so be sure to disconnect frequently. Warning! If, for whatever reason, you choose to duck too long between exits, you risk losing or, worse, breaking. If that happens, well … just don’t let it happen. So, whatever you do, don’t lose this key. “

So what is the key? … Music!

Reality establishes the body … music elevates the spirit.

Sure … there are a litany of things that lift the spirits … but the music is one of a kind. It has the power, at any moment, not only to lift the spirit, but to disconnect it and release it completely.

Just a melody from a forgotten song can instantly take you back to your childhood, or perhaps to a precise moment when you met someone special or experienced something wonderful for the first time, with all the trimmings in vivid detail.

A shout from a cello can disconnect you from reality faster than faster. Yes, you can peacefully float your spirit in a cloud of satisfaction before your body has the slightest idea that it has checked.

And if the beat of a drum, perfectly timed to an unpredictable but somehow anticipated beat, exploding in a whirlwind of electric harmonies can’t awaken that latent “loose and graceful damn free” of yours … nothing can.

Here’s the thing … we are all made of body and spirit. The degree to which we keep them fully engaged and properly balanced determines the quality of our reality.

It is when the spirit is highest when our emotions are deepest and dreams seem most vivid.

As I mentioned earlier … as a child, my spirit soared because my body was not yet aware of the reality it was supposed to embrace. So achieving dreams not only seemed possible, it was absolutely expected.

Note to myself for when life overwhelms you:

Never, no matter how old you are, think that you are too sophisticated to get carried away and be a little childish, because that is where your spirit lives and thrives. You see, those dreams and wishes don’t change … you do.

It is never too late. Everything that motivates, inspires, ignites and ignites you is always burning in your spirit waiting to be rekindled. All it takes is a single spark of excitement to ignite it once again. Turn the key and turn up the volume! And do it your way!

Bill peak