First, I have to admit that I loved experiencing the Michael Jackson movie, This Is It! I was bouncing out of my seat and singing silently (sort of) with each song. I found the movie to be incredibly inspiring. I enjoyed witnessing this creative genius at work, particularly when he was swept away during a duet. After the moment passed, he actually got irritated with himself for putting out what he felt was “too much” in rehearsal.  His comment was that he had to save his voice and energy for the actual tour.

This is It! turns out to be more prophetic than anyone could have imagined. Not just in terms of the loss of a human being, a son and father, a creative genius and a cultural icon, but in the potential invitation he sent to the world.  What invitation is this? Imagine if his real invitation was a call to each of us to rise to our own creative genius and to recognize, and perhaps more important, to act upon the This Is It! opportunities in our own lives.

What are This Is It! opportunities? Well, what if every moment is a This Is It! opportunity? How many times have we held back or let an inspirational moment pass, thinking we would have another chance to take an action, to express our creative genius, to love ourselves and others, to live fully without reservation? It is an interesting human trait to think that we have forever to be or to do what we truly desire in this life.  Perhaps engaging this trait is a way to deny that we are only here on this planet, in these bodies, for a very short time. What if it is not a trait, but is really a fear to be ourselves?

This is how Mariann Williamson sees it, in an excerpt from her writing, made well-known by Nelson Mandela:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate…it is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. We are all meant to shine, as children do….And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

OK, so there we have it. Both Michael and Mariann in their own ways, in their unique voices, each encourage us to live life BIG, full of inspiration and genius, and from our truth. What gift of yours is this world is waiting for? Are you holding it back? Are there detours in your day to day life that are distracting you from your exquisite This Is It! opportunity? What are you waiting for? The world is waiting for YOU!

There is no need to rush, yet there is not a moment to waste!