I went to the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance conference in Austin two weeks ago.  Hanging out with a hundred other singer/songwriters and music biz folks was Big Fun!  Among other things, we each received a randomly assigned topic for writing a new song that weekend.  My slip of paper said:  "Write about something in your life that you regret or wish you could undo, but can't."   Hmm ...
 
My first impulse was to go into my psycho-politically-correct stance of affirming  "I don't have any regrets."  Which is true enough.  And yet it felt important to embrace the challenge of completing the assignment, so I spent some quiet time revisiting a number of choices I'd made over the years that caused me significant discomfort.  I can't say I regret any of them, because they each brought their own invaluable gifts and lessons.  But there was a lot of energy that emerged from the simple act of revisiting these uncomfortable memories without shrinking from them, nor beating myself up with them.  And, as it turned out, the memory that I ended up using was more than just the basis for a moving song; it also gave rise to a renewed commitment to being more mindful of my relationship with my son, Mateo.  In short, I'm really glad I completed this task
 
So now I'd like to share this invitation with you.  Consider taking some time to "write (or just think) about some thing(s) in your life that you regret or wish you could undo, but can't."  Let the process unfold in silence for a while, if at all possible. Remember, this isn't about assigning blame or overcoming guilt - it's simply an opportunity to do deep spiritual work by re-connecting with some of the lessons that have brought you to where you are today, and some of the power they may still hold for you.
 
Should you want to hear what I did with my assignment, you can click here to listen to an MP3 demo of the song.  Of course, I hope you'll like it.  But more than that, I'm hoping that it might encourage you to head off into your own uplifting adventure at the lively intersection of your past, present and future.  Almost anything could happen ...
 
With blessings,