No that's not a typo or a "fudge" to fit something into the "X" slot that doesn't really start with the letter itself. There is a marked difference in our cultural lexicon between "extreme" and "Xtreme." "Extreme" is a respectable word, true enough, meaning over the top, to the limit or as far as you can go. But many people, especially sports fanatics, have coined the term "Xtreme" as a way of describing something that goes beyond the extreme and into the realm of sheer potential and possibility, that goes beyond the proscribed limits, that pushes them further than they have gone before. And there's something more, too, in the meaning of the word - a spirit of raw life lived on the edge of perfection and brilliance; the creation of a space where time slows, the mind reels and the spirit sings. Bringing the concept of "Xtreme" into your life opens you up to a whole new realm of experience. By refusing to acknowledge socially acceptable norms and boundaries, it is at once dangerous and freeing, aggressive yet nurturing. But how can you integrate this abstract idea into a concrete life? By using your wildest dreams as the jumping off point for your next advancement, by opening yourself up to the full power that you possess to create change and action and by living fully in the moment of your life, every second of every day of every year. This is "Xtreme" living - and it rocks your world! For example, if you are spiritual in nature, go beyond the traditional bounds of spiritual practice and try to imagine how someone could live spirituality to the "Xtreme." Perhaps you could take on the role of a great leader and work to inspire the entire world to uplifting change. Perhaps you could devote your entire life to one deep and abiding cause. Or maybe you could step into the shoes of your foremost role model and strive to live as closely to that standard as humanly possible for the rest of your days. Heady thoughts, aren't they? Impractical, too. But when was a great life ever confused with a practical life? And yet, some people manage to live just like this, "Xtreme" to the core - and lightening neither strikes them down nor does doom assail them. And you know what else? They have fun. What parts of your life could do with an "Xtreme" makeover? What fears confront you when you consider doing so? Moving from normal to extreme, and extreme to "Xtreme" are leaps of faith and the gap from one to the other seems uncrossably wide and treacherous. But it can be done, and it can be wild fun. And just think of the cool group of like-minded souls waiting on the other side for you to make that jump! |
