Once Upon a Time

I have really been enjoying watching the show Once Upon a Time and noting how it has unlimited metaphors for life and awakening. I have no idea if this was intentional or not. 

It begins with a town full of people who go through their lives in a semi-fog. They do they same thing pretty much everyday without questioning why or if it's even what they want to be doing. There's a vague sense that something's off, that there's more to the world and their lives, but it's buried too deep. They can't remember who they are or where they came from. And so they go on with their lives without questioning and without even considering what the truth is.

That is until Emma arrives. Emma sets off a chain of events that shakes them from their slumber. It's scary and shocking, but so much better than staying in the monotonous drone of not knowing. As they awaken they begin to remember the gifts and talents they had before, people they'd loved, challenges they'd faced, and so on. 

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Life becomes so much richer. But now they must take responsibility for themselves and their town - they can no longer go along like puppets. Now there are choices to be made in every moment. There are new things to handle and even new people. Nothing will ever be the same.

In all of our lives, there comes a point when we want to wake up. We want to remember our true potential. We want to explore what else there is to life besides marching along with the crowd. But just like in the fictional town of Storybrooke, awakening comes with responsibility. And so it only happens to us when we're ready. It happens when we're ready we turn away from the safety and comfort of routine and begin to explore the unknown.

Sometimes someone like Emma shows up, destined to push our buttons and show us we've been sleepwalking. Sometimes we are our own Emma, and we suddenly look at our lives and wonder, who's life is it really?  Is this the life I want to live? Or do I want to wake up and see if there's magic brewing below the surface? 

Of course just like in Emma's world, once you awaken you can't go back to sleep. You cant turn off the curiosity or the wonder or the desire to become the explorer of your own existence. But then again, why would you want to? This is an incredible time to be alive and to explore existence in ways never done before. The best part is, you won't be alone in your exploring. More people than ever are awakening and asking questions. Eventually, the unknown will be the known. We'll stop asking Why am I here and Where did I come from, and instead be ready to ask, What if I was unlimited? How amazing of a life can I create, and what amazing things can I create with everyone around me?