Breathe.Gratitude.Love.

The kids and I went to Myrtle Beach over the spring break weekend for some much needed connection with the ocean.  On the third day there, we took a break from the sand and shore and headed over to the Ripley’s Believe it or not plaza.

The plaza offers an array of activities for its visitors, but the kids were most attracted to the upside down house.

I would describe the upside down house as an inter-active museum. There are severe weather demonstrations, a 360 bike experience where you can petal your way into flipping head over heels, an astronaut training simulator, plus so much more.

The activity from the upside down house that stuck with me the most was the 3D movie experience. Viewers are given 3D glasses before entering a small theatre, then buckled into special seats that shift and vibrate during the short film. There is a monitor that lets you see the people who are currently viewing the film while you wait in line for your turn to enter, and it is clear that the viewers are mostly sitting still during the movie. This is in stark contrast to the screams that are coming from the theatre that make you think they are being jolted about uncontrollably.

Our turn came to enter the theatre, and we donned our 3D glasses and fastened ourselves into the seats. Our movie simulated being on a dinosaur safari, similar to the Jurassic Park series. The movie is shown from the perspective of the passenger, so the 3D glasses, our proximity to the screen and the movement of the chairs all combined to make a very realistic experience, and it was a wee bit scary. I could feel that knot in my stomach whenever the simulation made it seem as though we were about to fall from a cliff or tumble down a hill.

I realized that I had my eyes closed for most of the short film, which made me question if I was truly enjoying the experience. I knew it was all smoke and mirrors, but they were super effective! When I realized that I was missing out by keeping my eyes shut the whole time, I re-centered myself by peaking at my hands (which were clutching the safety bars of the seat) from underneath the 3D glasses. In that moment I realized that nothing was really moving. I was just as still as the people I had seen on the monitor earlier who were screaming their hearts out. A simple shift in perception allowed me to look up at the screen again and enjoy the antics of the dinosaur that was so desperate to chew us up and spit us down a hill.

A lot of the issues that we face in our society remind me of the dinosaur drama that played out on the screen that day in the museum. We become hyper-focused on marginal facts, making them bigger and scarier than they really are. Once we bring those scary facts into our primary focus, they start making loud noises in our ears, making our hearts race with anxiety. Even though we are mostly standing still, the slightest vibration makes us feel like we’re falling off of a cliff. Enough already.

These antics are great for a few moments of entertainment, but this is no way to live our everyday lives. Many of us have faced some hard screens in this life, and it seems there is nothing we can do except succumb to the emotion of the moment. Instead of experiencing the emotion (such as fear), we become the emotion. We allow ourselves to be seduced and romanced by fear because being fearful has its benefits. Remaining in fear gives us a false permission to cower away from our own growth. Being fearful draws sympathy from others, allowing us to relax into a camaraderie of stagnation.

We have the power to stand up to the circumstances around us. We can decide for ourselves that enough is enough, that we will not cower away and miss out on our own lives because of fear. Our incarnation is brilliantly designed to be exciting and full of joy. Keeping our eyes closed to avoid the intense scenes only amplifies the fictitious noise that keeps us in fear.

We have the choice to believe it-or not. We can believe that the scary monsters on the screens of life are gonna chew us up and spit us down a hill, or we can look inside of our soul and see the truth. We are infinite cosmic beings, resilient and rooted in love.

I choose to believe that I am greater than the circumstances dancing across the screens put before me. And because I choose to believe in my greatness, I can sit back and enjoy the show a little better, knowing that all is well.

And so it is.