It was hot last week in NYC, and my daughter and I were there visiting relatives. We got on a subway car that happened to not have air conditioning. It was super hot. People were complaining. I immediately got mischievous, pretending to ask for money from fellow passengers to raise funds to fix the subway's air conditioner.
A soldier dressed for active duty was smiling from ear to ear. He must have been extra hot and bothered in his uniform, but he did not seem so. He was appreciating my attempt at lightening the atmosphere and was giving me more eye contact and positive regard than I was accustomed to receiving in that environment.
Suddenly he shocked me and my daughter by blurting out, “Aren’t you Scott Grace?” When I said yes he launched into a rampage of appreciation for me and my YouTube videos, especially the EFT tapping videos I had put up.
He said they had helped him tremendously and were constant companions on his journey. I was so touched I began tearing up right there in the subway. I gave him a big hug in the oppressive heat, in full view of the other passengers, and thanked him for reminding me who I am and the value of what I do. I was so glad my daughter was there, taking in every aspect of this delightful encounter.
I asked him to tell me a bit about his adventures in the Army, and he did so generously. Brennan was his name, and he told me he felt guided to join the service to serve, to bring light and love into a system that could use it. He was a student of A Course in Miracles, and practiced his lessons faithfully every day.
He emailed me recently and said, "I thought about you today in the field when I thought I had a million problems and I remembered that nothing is wrong. I always forget I'm being held and that's ok too. I love you Sir and you don't have to change.”
Wow. I needed to hear that. Remembering that I don't need to change changes everything! And he called me Sir!
Brennan, I salute you, and thank you for your service. And yes, I will continue to put up YouTubes and serve through my own particular mission, which is to have fun comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable through creativity, playfulness, and love. And to do so with gentleness and ease.... at ease, soldier!
I’ve had my doubts about the time, energy and money that I’ve put into putting up YouTubes. I sometimes think it’s not worth it, and get dis-couraged (removed from my courage). And then along comes Brennan, an angel in uniform, to remind me that those videos are making a difference and to keep up the good works.
And so I will.
Today I am sharing with you a video of me working with a 9/11 Rescue Worker, a man who was kind enough to let the process be videoed in the hope that it will help others. He was a first responder to the World Trade Center, and was carrying around some emotional and physical baggage that he was ready to let go of. May his vulnerability and commitment to go for a healing inspire you to keep going for yours. As one of my songs says, “We all are at ground zero, and each one plays a part. There still are many trapped inside their hearts.”
Here it is: 911 Rescuer Goes for a Healing
I dedicate it to all us lightworkers who have the courage, in the name of service, to bring light and love to some tough places, whether it be the U.S. Military, your own personal World Trade Center, or an August NYC subway car without air conditioning.
I Am The Light of the World
- A Course in Miracles
Scott Grace, also called the Spiritual Dr. Seuss, is a levity specialist and transformational troubadour that is also a life coach by day, and does sessions via phone or Skype. He can be reached at www.scottsongs.com
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Enjoying Fear, Enjoying Life, and Riding Rollercoasters!
By Scott Grace
That’s my daughter and I on a roller coaster this past weekend in Santa Cruz.
As a child, I used to love roller coasters. I spent most of my adult life avoiding them. What happened?
In my thirties, when staying in my comfort zone was paramount, I went to an amusement park with some friends. They coaxed me (post-adolescent peer pressure) to get on a rollercoaster that challenged both my fear of heights and my biological ability to retain ownership of the contents of my stomach. I believe the technical term is “throw-up ride.” A bunch of young kids were on it too, and as the ride went up, way up, they were laughing, screaming and having great fun.
I wasn’t. My belly knotted in protest, and I was dizzy with fear. Suddenly, the ride went straight down. Fast. I hated every moment and wondered why anyone would pay money for an experience like this. I noticed that the younger kids screamed all the way down, and were totally loving it. What had I missed? What did they know that I wasn’t hip to?
This year my six year old daughter convinced me to ride all kinds of scary rides with her. I said yes mostly to please her, but also to give myself the chance to overcome some fear.
So here I am sitting down with her. She is beaming with joy and excitement. Me too, until I started looking up and contemplating what I had gotten myself into. The safety bar locked into place, but somehow I did not feel safe. We started going up at a snail’s pace, agonizingly slow. My knees began shaking. Panic gripped me. What had I gotten myself into? Damn my codependent tendencies! There was no turning back, and I was dreading it.
Just as we reached the highest point and were about to rapidly descend, Holy Spirit spoke and gave me the key to enjoying rollercoasters. The still, small voice was quite large and commanding: “Scream, Scott, scream! Express yourself! Enjoy the fear!”
I started making strange and interesting sounds at the very top of my lungs. I threw a primal tantrum and held nothing back. Very quickly, my fear transmuted to a tingling excitement. Laughter bubbled up and out. My need to be on the ground (and in control) dissolved into trust and exhilaration. Whee! I loved it so much, I wanted to ride again.
Perhaps the presence of fear can be a sign that we are courageously buying a ticket to the roller coaster of change, saying yes to the ride’s ups and downs and not paying allegiance to our ego’s plan to keep us small, grounded, safe, secure and unchallenged. Perhaps fear plays an accompanying role in any choice for greater aliveness, passion and healing. And, perhaps, it would behoove us to rediscover that childlike ability to accept and enjoy fear … deeply breathing, tingling, trembling and, yes, screaming at times.
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” I would take it a step further. We have nothing to fear. Not even fear. Enjoying ourselves while trembling is a wondrous step in the evolution of becoming free of fear.
I feel a passion to move, and to keep on moving. I’ve been around long enough to know that staying in one predictable place is not only undesirable, but downright impossible. We are always moving, changing and growing. Riding the roller coaster is what we signed up for on this planet. It’s non-negotiable. The more we say yes to the ride, the more we enjoy ourselves.
I wish you great delight in the amusement park. Enjoy the fear. Give yourself permission to scream. Have fun!
Scott Grace, also called the Spiritual Dr. Seuss, is a keynote speaker and transformational troubadour that is also a life coach by day, and does sessions via phone, Facetime or Skype. Read more about his coaching practice at www.scottsongs.com, schedule a session at 415 721 2954, or email at info@scottsongs.com
As a child, I used to love roller coasters. I spent most of my adult life avoiding them. What happened?
In my thirties, when staying in my comfort zone was paramount, I went to an amusement park with some friends. They coaxed me (post-adolescent peer pressure) to get on a rollercoaster that challenged both my fear of heights and my biological ability to retain ownership of the contents of my stomach. I believe the technical term is “throw-up ride.” A bunch of young kids were on it too, and as the ride went up, way up, they were laughing, screaming and having great fun.
I wasn’t. My belly knotted in protest, and I was dizzy with fear. Suddenly, the ride went straight down. Fast. I hated every moment and wondered why anyone would pay money for an experience like this. I noticed that the younger kids screamed all the way down, and were totally loving it. What had I missed? What did they know that I wasn’t hip to?
This year my six year old daughter convinced me to ride all kinds of scary rides with her. I said yes mostly to please her, but also to give myself the chance to overcome some fear.
So here I am sitting down with her. She is beaming with joy and excitement. Me too, until I started looking up and contemplating what I had gotten myself into. The safety bar locked into place, but somehow I did not feel safe. We started going up at a snail’s pace, agonizingly slow. My knees began shaking. Panic gripped me. What had I gotten myself into? Damn my codependent tendencies! There was no turning back, and I was dreading it.
Just as we reached the highest point and were about to rapidly descend, Holy Spirit spoke and gave me the key to enjoying rollercoasters. The still, small voice was quite large and commanding: “Scream, Scott, scream! Express yourself! Enjoy the fear!”
I started making strange and interesting sounds at the very top of my lungs. I threw a primal tantrum and held nothing back. Very quickly, my fear transmuted to a tingling excitement. Laughter bubbled up and out. My need to be on the ground (and in control) dissolved into trust and exhilaration. Whee! I loved it so much, I wanted to ride again.
Perhaps the presence of fear can be a sign that we are courageously buying a ticket to the roller coaster of change, saying yes to the ride’s ups and downs and not paying allegiance to our ego’s plan to keep us small, grounded, safe, secure and unchallenged. Perhaps fear plays an accompanying role in any choice for greater aliveness, passion and healing. And, perhaps, it would behoove us to rediscover that childlike ability to accept and enjoy fear … deeply breathing, tingling, trembling and, yes, screaming at times.
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” I would take it a step further. We have nothing to fear. Not even fear. Enjoying ourselves while trembling is a wondrous step in the evolution of becoming free of fear.
I feel a passion to move, and to keep on moving. I’ve been around long enough to know that staying in one predictable place is not only undesirable, but downright impossible. We are always moving, changing and growing. Riding the roller coaster is what we signed up for on this planet. It’s non-negotiable. The more we say yes to the ride, the more we enjoy ourselves.
I wish you great delight in the amusement park. Enjoy the fear. Give yourself permission to scream. Have fun!
Scott Grace, also called the Spiritual Dr. Seuss, is a keynote speaker and transformational troubadour that is also a life coach by day, and does sessions via phone, Facetime or Skype. Read more about his coaching practice at www.scottsongs.com, schedule a session at 415 721 2954, or email at info@scottsongs.com
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