It’s time to stand and fearlessly fight the fear and anxiety that clutter our minds.
By Jo Mooy
Several months ago I saw an extraordinary production of “Man of La Mancha.” I’ve seen it on and off Broadway, but this “virtuoso performance” (to quote the reviews) was modernized with spot on comparisons to the 21st century. The play blended 400-year-old history with current events. In Cervantes’ Don Quixote, the original prison backdrop was the 1605 Spanish Inquisition. This production replaced that time-frame with a 2023 immigration detention center. Just in case you missed the message, the director added an exclamation point by casting it with mostly Hispanic actors.
The stunning signature song, The Impossible Dream has been sung by hundreds of A-List artists. But in this production, it was no longer just words I was hearing. Rather, the lyrics, sung by Mauricio Martinez, became an anthem for each of us witnessing a world on fire and turned upside down. His personal story is an Impossible Dream. A Mexican immigrant, a four-time cancer survivor, he went from selling trinkets on the streets of Times Square to starring roles on Broadway and an Emmy-Award winning actor. His version evoked a powerful hush of anticipation in the audience as he took center stage. As his voice reached the high notes, tearful responses were heard across the theater as each person, absorbing the full impact of the lyrics, “got it.”
Each line was an emotional roller coaster and a call to arms that appealed to the superhero lying dormant in all of us. To run where the brave dare not go…to be willing to march into hell for that heavenly cause is bigger than a challenge. It begs you to summon up triumphant courage in the face of any difficulty you encounter. To stand and fearlessly fight the dragons and unruly monsters of fear and anxiety that clutter our minds. And to meet the foe no matter how bruised and battered and weary you become. Was doing all of that an Impossible Dream or not?
Fear and distrust are today’s coins of the realm. They’re freely dispensed in the opinions of anyone who commands a podium. The opinions are seldom balanced or inspired, and they demand the audience take a side. This leads to a spiraling cycle of more fear and more distrust. It almost becomes a physical constriction because these unbalanced opinions make you believe that “everyone” feels a certain way. If you’re not strong enough in your own beliefs and sense of self, it will magnetically drag you down into the anxiety abyss.
I’ve seen it upend the spiritual practices of strong individuals. When fear and anxiety becomes so overwhelming the flames of the dragons seems to scorch the life out of them. The will to stand with the last ounce of courage withers. They’re left in a desert of despair, withdrawing from their supportive communities and all social interaction,.
The Impossible Dream demanded I look at fear a different way. In two minutes and seventeen seconds it stirred the soul of not what was, but what could be. In those two minutes, the word possible was brightly lit up in the word impossible. It signaled hope again. It was possible to fight the dragons! It was possible to vanquish the foe! It was possible to do something instead of waiting for something to happen. It was not an Impossible Dream! Everything was truly possible!
Believing in the Impossible Dream is about honoring moral values, ethics and high ideals. It’s about doing the right thing and being cherished for doing that instead of ridiculed. It’s about taking up the mantle of spiritual knights who dream possibilities into life. Spiritual knights who imagine and demand a more just and more compassionate world. Spiritual knights who join the worldwide army of visionaries who share those same ideals. Who bravely stand up for the downtrodden.
Astrologically, the planets are aligning to bring the Impossible Dream into form. Pluto, the planet of power, moves into Aquarius and remain there for 20 years. Old, rigid top-down structures will crumble so new green shoots emerge in human consciousness. The natural world conspires with visionaries, reminding everyone that it IS a safe harbor for peace, serenity and sustenance.
During this time, personal perspectives and beliefs will rapidly change. The world will become more humanitarian and spiritual. The younger generations, (Z and Alpha), on the world stage now are coming of age. They see each other neutrally and with fewer labels that divide us. The possibilities inherent in the holy hymn of The Impossible Dream will emerge. And, a new reality of higher ideals will become miraculously grounded into human consciousness. The dream is way more than possible!
Jo Mooy has studied with many spiritual traditions over the past 40 years. The wide diversity of this training allows her to develop spiritual seminars and retreats that explore inspirational concepts, give purpose and guidance to students, and present esoteric teachings in an understandable manner. Along with Patricia Cockerill, she has guided the Women’s Meditation Circle since January 2006 where it has been honored for five years in a row as the “Favorite Meditation” group in Sarasota, FL, by Natural Awakenings Magazine. Teaching and using Sound as a retreat healing practice, Jo was certified as a Sound Healer through Jonathan Goldman’s Sound Healing Association. She writes and publishes a monthly internationally distributed e-newsletter called Spiritual Connections and is a staff writer for Spirit of Maat magazine in Sedona. For more information go to http://www.starsoundings.com or email jomooy@gmail.com.