Saturday evening, the curtain closed on the Victorville cast’s final performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. My dream of playing the title role in that production is now fulfilled and it is time for me and my cast mates, to turn the page and begin a new chapter in life.
The experience was fulfilling and rewarding. I am alive with the memories of entertaining sold-out audiences and giving everything that I am to my portrayal of Joseph. I am extremely satisfied with my effort. The kind comments and embraces will long resonate in my soul. I am so happy that I stretched to make this happen. It was not easy and it required many sacrifices from both my beautiful family and me.
Holding On
There is a part of me that wishes it would never end. I feel connected to the role and the story. By the end of our 10 show run, I felt very comfortable being Joseph. I wish that I could now move on to another town and just continue the performances. I know that with each show, I would gain an even greater understanding of the character and I would know how to inject even more of myself into the role. I really believe that I am energetic and passionate enough to bring this role to life for many more performances.
My desire to hold on to this moment, reminds me of a beautiful tradition from Tibet. There, the Buddhist Monks, create exquisite paintings out of colored sands. These paintings are intricate creations that take many days of intense labor to complete. Some even take weeks and months to finish.
The purpose of the paintings is to connect the monks, and their followers, with the spiritual teachings that are passed down from generation to generation. The paintings are symbolic representations of both spiritual and temporal beliefs. The monk’s only aspire to bring those teachings into physical form for the good of the people. Their entire focus is on bringing to light the true purpose of life. They spend countless hours carefully placing the multi-colored sands that bring these visions to life.
The finished painting are only enjoyed for a brief moment. Shortly after they are completed, the monks destroy them. They do this to symbolize the impermanence of everything in this world. The whole experience becomes a vivid reminder of the physical nature of things. Nothing is permanent. We will all pass away. Then we will know that many of the things which we think are so important today, have very little meaning in the eternal realms we will inherit. The real joy comes from the process, our commitment to being, and the journey we find ourselves in along the way.
The monks collect the colored sands and pour them into a nearby river or stream. It is believed that the energy invested in the painting will be carried by the flowing waters throughout the world and that this energy will serve as a healing power to the world.
Letting Go
Now, it is time for me to sweep up the multi-colored sands of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and allow the energy created from our performance to flow out of the theater, through the river of the collective experiences our audience will take into our community. There is a buzz in the community about this work. We touched the hearts of our audience. Our creation, which was framed by an intimate theater, is now being spread to the world in ways in which we as cast members will never fully see or comprehend. Our energy is flowing through the world and it is healing others. I know this, because I have already heard a few accounts of reconciliation and I know there will be many more.
I am excited for the future. I do not need to cling to this experience, because I know that I will continue to create many opportunities to use my talents on many different stages. Each of them will be different. Each of them will allow me to give something more of my self to create a new mosaic of life and spirit.
Letting go of this experience is not an ending, it is a beginning. I now have a new platform for growth. I now can move to my next level. I am not able to identify what that will be at this moment, but I know it is coming. I look forward to embracing it.
Stepping Into The Future
Our future opportunities for growth will not manifest themselves until we are ready to let go of the things for which we are currently praised and adored. The comfort and safety these experiences bring to our lives make it difficult to aspire and commit to becoming something more. We can never move on to our next level until we are ready to say goodbye to the current successes we enjoy. The journey to the future requires us to leave much behind. We muse pack lightly. In fact the only thing we can really take with us is our learnings from climbing to previous heights.
Where do you find yourself today? Are you nearing the peak of that experience? Are you ready to raise the bar?
Does the thought of letting go bring a little fear into your being? Does it bring excitement?
It is natural to feel both. My invitation is for you to use the excitement to propel you forward. Don’t let it be wasted. I am certain that you have many aspirations. Don’t wait for someday to reach for them. The time is now – don’t let it pass you by.
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