Why do we do what we do?

This is an age old question that has intrigued social science scholars to continually study our thoughts, habits, human interactions, family dynamics, child development etc. to gain deeper understanding of people.

While there is an abundance of scholarly knowledge, what if their is a spiritual component that we can not yet measure?

Over a year and a half ago, I did my first and only ancestral meditation. It was a powerful and unforgettable experience that deepened my connection to my ancestors.

The meditation, lead by a shaman, had a workshop component. She created an authentic Dia De Los Muertos alter and talked about the symbols/ meanings behind every item on the alter.

She talked about the importance of honoring family members and ancestors because they dreamed of the life beyond what they could imagine for themselves.

She stated the essence of the idea that it is our duty, to pick up where they left off and continue the dream. Had our ancestors made different choices, we may have been born in different places, at a different decade or to different parents.

When I saw the movie Moana, I could not help but think about my ancestral meditation. The movie, follows Moana who dreams of a life on the sea, which her father forbids. Her community even has a folk story that keeps the community close to the island. Determined to experience life beyond the island, and her communities need for food after a dying harvest, Moana sails off to sea to aide her community. On her journey she learns about herself, her grandmother and her ancestors. She discovers that they all embraced the sea and lived in harmony with it. She finds that her desire to be at sea didn’t make her odd, or weird, like she felt it once did. She realizes she was just continuing her families legacy.

If there is something you long to do, that may not be aligned with your immediate family, consider that it may be part of your ancestral lineage. If it is not, perhaps what you long to do is simply your calling.

You do not need anyones approval or understanding to follow your deepest yearning, if it is in your best and highest good.

Today’s Tune is from the movie Moana. This is her heart song titled “How Far I’ll Go.” It is a great anthem and mantra if you are nurturing a dream that will take you away from the life you currently know.

How Far I’ll Go by Lin-Manuel Miranda

I’ve been staring at the edge of the water

‘Long as I can remember, never really knowing why

I wish I could be the perfect daughter

But I come back to the water, no matter how hard I try

Every turn I take, every trail I track

Every path I make, every road leads back

To the place I know, where I can not go, where I long to be

See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me

And no one knows, how far it goes

If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me

One day I’ll know, if I go there’s just no telling how far I’ll go

I know everybody on this island, seems so happy on this island

Everything is by design

I know everybody on this island has a role on this island

So maybe I can roll with mine

I can lead with pride, I can make us strong

I’ll be satisfied if I play along

But the voice inside sings a different song

What is wrong with me?

See the light as it shines on the sea? It’s blinding

But no one knows, how deep it goes

And it seems like it’s calling out to me, so come find me

And let me know, what’s beyond that line, will I cross that line?

The line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me

And no one knows, how far it goes

If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me

One day I’ll know, how far I’ll go

Love – Stephanie XO