Conversations that Changed My Life – “Do What’s Alive to You”
The flight was delayed so, I opened my laptop to get some extra work done. After a few minutes (of distracted efforts) I closed my computer and heard Words with No Voice (the name I call ‘God’) send these thoughts my way, “Conversations. It’s all about conversations.”
I contemplated those words as the plane began taxiing down the runway that day in 1999.
It caused me to reflect.
Just like it does today.
Looking back, I can see that some of the most powerful shifts in my life happened in the span of a short conversation.
I want to share some of my favorites with you…
“Do What’s Alive to You”
It was 1982 when I fell in love with the singer/songwriter, Keith Green. He was one of those lyrical poets who expressed the depth of my spiritual questions while conveying the sweetness of my faith. I was a mixed bag of tricks with all this pain, faith, and doubt all jumbled together. Keith didn’t know me but he knew me. His songs spoke the truth of what was in my heart and I wanted desperately to meet him and thank him for how he made me feel so understood during those early, weird teenage years. I committed myself to meeting him one day.
When the radio host announced in a somber voice one afternoon, that Keith Green had died in a plane accident, I was crushed. After the tears were barely dried, I made a new commitment, “One day, I will meet his wife and we will be friends.”
Life had twisted and turned into the direction of me becoming a professional musician — writing songs with spiritual thoughts that I communicated through the CDs and performances I did.
In 2002, I was asked to be part of a recording project that ended up having world-wide exposure. I spent those next few years at different venues sharing the songs and the mission behind them.
It was after one of those performances that this woman with a distinctly “strong” nose and a wide smile came and greeted me with a hug that wouldn’t quit. When she finally pulled back, she held my shoulders and looked into my eyes, “You’re Jewish aren’t you?” I smiled and shook my head, “I’m an Italian who feels really Jewish sometimes though!” She smiled and pulled away, “Oh, you can be Italian and Jewish. I bet you are.”
I reached out my hand to introduce myself, “I know your heritage but I don’t know your name: I’m Stacey Robbins.” She placed her hand in mine and I could feel the electric current before she even said, “So good to meet you, Stacey Robbins. I’m Melody Green.”
Keith and Melody Green
She invited me to her home. I sat at Keith’s piano. With his silhouette album cover behind me and his songs alive within me. Mel and I had become friends and we were sharing deep chats late into the night.
“I want to change everything, Mel. I want to step out of music and into speaking to women and counseling them. I know that people are so used to me being focused on one area, I’m afraid they’re not going to let me go and explore this other. I don’t want to disappoint people.”
She nodded with understanding and spoke from her experience, “Stacey, don’t wait for anyone to give you permission to do what you’re here to do. And Stacey…” she tilted her head and looked deeply into my eyes, “…you need to do what’s alive to you.”
Those words came to me and propelled me across the country and eventually, globe, speaking to women, coaching women, becoming certified in yoga, homeschooling my kids, writing books and leading retreats in Italy.
Why?
Because it was alive to me.
Doing what’s alive. Not static. Not yesterday. Not what’s expected. Not what I think I should be doing with this amount of money in the bank or pounds on my ass or years on this planet.
Just simply:
Do what’s alive to me.
tacey