First of all, I think flying is a good thing.  I don’t know about the physical part but often my heart soars.

But are X, Y and Z necessary for me to ascend?  I say no.  Here are some things I see as extra:

The Himalayas

It’s nice being on a windswept pass in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, or strolling through a violet lavender field in France, or experiencing the sun falling into the sea on the horizon.  But they’re not needed.

A Monastery

I know a few: the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts (USA); Monasterium PoortAckere in Ghent (Belgium); The Peace Pagoda in Grafton, New York (USA).  Holy places … but so is my bedroom.

Silence

Three floors down from my balcony is the terrace of Café Otis.  Often people are out there talking at 2:00 am.  Then there are kids on the schoolyard at recess as I walk by.  I still fall sweetly to sleep and smile across the years as a child shrieks on the swing.

Music

It was cool being in the front row in Toronto as Nicola Benedetti caressed her violin, drawing forth melodies that lifted us all.  Or when Bruce Springsteen rocks the stadium with Badlands.  But life is full of vibrations that can enter and stay … if we open our pores.

Lots of Money

Caribbean cruises, Michelin meals, a Porsche – they sound cool (especially if the car is red!)  But essential for lifting off in life?  No.

Perfect Health

Experiencing my body as strong and flexible and full of oxygen is marvelous. But shortness of breath, straining under a load, or bursitis in the hip need not exclude the spirit.

***

But what do I need to rise?

One thing …

People