The long paths of practice

"On the long path of practice 
we move from living from our self-images 
and our many stories 
to living more from our deepest values, 
our most authentic self."

Jan Jarboe Russell, my NIA teacher, sent out this sentence from a Buddhist text this morning and I re-spaced it to remind myself to pay attention in a different way.  Jan was relating this line to the practice of NIA, and I believe it may apply to whatever our practice is. 

Like most people my age, I feel that this is a great age to be my most authentic self.  If not now, when?

We're all doing different things to get there.  Some are retiring from careers and marriages and trying to find meaning in different ways. Some are dealing with pain and health challenges, searching for new paths to healing.  Some are changing things in houses, making art, dancing, writing, gardening, traveling. Most of us are doing a patchwork of practices, all leading us to be our most authentic selves. 

Whatever we are doing, it seems to me that the real challenge of growing older is to let go of whatever doesn't work and claim what does. As the Skin Horse in The Velveteen Rabbit says:

“Real isn't how you are made. It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

Aging is its own practice--winnowing out the beliefs, old worn-out stories we tell ourselves, chairs and relationships that no longer fit and choosing the ones that do.