December 2002 - Nr. 12
To the limit
Run, run and run some more. Don’t look back. Keep pushing on, things are going to get better. You will never run out of energy. Keep moving forward until you are going so fast you end up defying what you never thought possible and secretly feared: going backward.
What is it about us that pushes us on? Blind faith or the possibility that the dream will be realized somewhere, somehow? Run, run, run away. Clear your mind. Find what is true. Not possible. I must keep on the path, as deviation does not enter the plan. It does not fit. Well, what does fit? In the end, all you have is yourself and your truth will put you in position and lead you in the right direction.
I hope to never reach my limit. But at one point, I thought I had. The grass is always greener, as they say, but one still wants to find out how green. The trick is to realize when one is in this predicament and to take the time to properly readjust.
You guessed right, it’s me again, Elizabeth, after I heard from some of you. There is still no yodeling involved here, simply much intensity. Last time, I touched on my European adventure. Allow me to share a little more. Why did Europe seem like the logical decision when I needed to refuel? And believe me, I did. The familiar nations were left for the second half of my 2-month trip: Austria, Germany, and France. The unfamiliar and, at first a little worrisome, but truth be told, changed my perspective.
![Monastery by St. John the Theologian-Kaneo [Photo: Elizabeth Kuehn]](212c-Elis-St.jpg)
Greece,
with its hot and arid climate provided a quick-tempered change in attitude.
Pushing and shoving is a way of life. We here seem to be less accepting of
this, however, take a good look and you will find a similar attitude with
one very important twist: subtlety of giving the elbow to your neighbour. Of
course, people are people everywhere, but what is it about location that
changes attitude and mentality? Where are you free? Where am I free? Athens
left a lasting impression on me. And the pollution didn’t bother me one bit.
The hustle and bustle combined with a certain relaxed attitude is one that I
admired.
![The Temple of Athena at the Acropolis [Photo: Elizabeth Kuehn]](212c-Elis-Temple-of-Athena.jpg)
Again,
the preoccupation of moving quickly here does not leave much to the
imagination. We are constantly running to the next possible thing without
properly taking the time to look at the first topic. Unfortunately, to keep
up, we have no choice but to run along side the already momentum-driven
high-speed train that is the society. Don’t get me wrong, there are many
things I love and admire that wouldn’t change for the world, however,
wouldn’t it be nice to see us sipping a cappuccino or a frappé for hours,
discussing what is truly important? Or even sitting and discussing through
our eyes or even the environment around, that is, not even saying a word for
several hours and leaving as if you’ve had the best conversation or meeting
in the world? It is really interesting how location either changes one’s
attitude toward things, or dare I even say it, brings forth what we were
thinking in the first place? I found a great peacefulness in visiting the
monasteries of Meteora in central Greece, as well as the monasteries on
Macedonia. A highlight for me was arriving in Skopje earlier than expected.
After a little panic session about the state of our arrival, I was serenaded
by four police officers. Apparently there’s
a song with my name in it! Who knew! at the drop of a hat, all four of them started to sing to me. What a cute surprise!
My limit in terms of my adventure had not yet been reached, however, I felt it within and wanted to unleash the dragon. Once we got to Vienna, I felt at home for several reasons. My sister had the wonderful opportunity to take part on a prestigious Voice Masterclass at the University of Music in Wien. Her teacher there left an imprint and a quote that I would like to share with you now: "Die Einatmung ist nur der Schwung für die Ausatmung!" The inhalation is only the momentum for the exhalation. A reconnection with your breath and yourself.
Elizabeth
Write to me with your thoughts about how you experience life and where you fit in at info@echoworld.com
