Only If . . . Je Voudrais Voler June 23, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Magick & Mystery, Mindfulness, Music & Dance.trackback
For the past three decades, Enya’s voice has soared through the heavens, inspiring listeners to reach for the stars and sail away.
Morris Goodman, the Miracle Man, did just that.
After a plane crash paralyzed him from the neck down, Morris refused to accept the unanimous medical consensus that he would never walk or breathe again on his own. Instead of accepting his physical limitations, he used his mind and creative visualization to make a miraculous recovery.
Nine months after the crash, he achieved the impossible goal he had set for himself . . . of walking out of the hospital on Christmas Day:
Michael Goodman’s miraculous story exemplifies the power of the mind to control our destiny ~ our ability to achieve what we believe.
We can inspire ourselves to reach for the stars, catch them in our grasp, and fly away . . . but Only If we want to:
When there’s a shadow you reach for the sun
When there is love then you look for the one
and for the promises there is the sky
and for the heavens are those who can fly
If you really want to you can hear me say
only if you want to will you find a way.
If you really want to you can seize the day,
only if you want to will you fly away
When there’s a journey you follow a star
When there’s an ocean you sail from afar
and for the broken heart there is the sky
and for tomorrow are those who can fly
If you really want to you can hear me say
only if you want to will you find a way.
If you really want to you can seize the day,
only if you want to will you fly away
Ah! Je voudrais voler comme un oiseau d’aile.
Ah! Je voudrais voler comme un oiseau d’aile, d’aile..
Copyright ©1997 EMI Music Publishing Ltd
Notes
The French expression, “Je voudrais voler comme un oiseau d’aile,” means “I wish I could fly like a bird.” . . . don’t we all?
Related posts: Self-Fulfilling Prophesies * Creative Visualization * Silence the Inner Critic * To Dream The Impossible Dream
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Spirit Lights The Way 
“It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in God, but it was kind of like I let God do His little thing, and I did my own little thing. But I think the accident in retrospect was probably the best thing that ever happened to me.” – Morris Goodman
An amazing story.
Isn’t it?
We accomplish no more than we imagine . . .
Conceive . . . Believe . . . Achieve
There was a movie that I saw way back in the late 70’s or early 80’s called “Voices.” It was about the romance between a young singer/guitarist/musician and a dancer/teacher who was deaf. Jimmy Webb wrote one of the songs in the movie (it starred Michael Ontkean and Amy Irving), and other than the basic plot outline, the song is all I have remembered about it. Called “If You Want To” (I have searched diligently for the music and/or lyrics online, and cannot find them!), a couple of the verses go like this:
You can swim like a fish, if you want to
Swim, if you’re not afraid to try.
And the whales will be amazed when they see you
In the deep blue ocean drifting by.
You can fly like a bird if you want to
Fly if you’re brave enough to dare
And all the other birds will admire you when they see you
Dancing in mid air!
Along the same lines is a more recent favorite song of mine written by Heather Masse, and Nicky Mehta called “Bird Song:”
“I hear a bird chirping, up in the sky;
I’d like to be free like that, spread my wings so high.
I see the river flowing, water running by;
I’d like to be that river, see what I might find.
I feel the wind a’blowing, slowly changing time;
I’d like to be that wind, I’d swirl and shape the sky.
I smell the flowers blooming, opening for spring;
I’d like to be those flowers, open to everything.
I feel the season change the leaves, the snow, and sun;
I’d like to be those seasons, made up and undone.
I taste the living earth, the seeds that grow within;
I’d like to be that earth, a home where life begins.
I see the moon a’rising, reaching into night;
I’d like to be that moon, a knowing, glowing light.
I know the silence as the world begins to wake;
I’d like to be that silence, as the morning breaks.”
Here’s a YouTube video of her singing it last year…Hope you like it as much as I do!
Thanks, Paula.
I like the lyrics of the first better than the second ~ the first seems to be saying that we can be all we dream.
Whereas the second seems just to be wishful thinking without the promise of those wishes coming true.
Thank you Paula. What wonderful songs.
The song in question, from the movie Voices, was called”The Children’s Song” and was performed by Andrew & David Williams. There is a video clip on youtube – Amy Irving dancing! I typed in “The Children’s Song Michael Ontkean” and it popped right up!
I get what you mean, but the second resonates with me because it sings about the beauty of all creation, and the desire to be a part of it. That desire can bring about greater respect for what surrounds us, as well as give us the motivation to be a part of it, in whatever way we dream! Also, dreams come true every day, for everybody, I think…sometimes we just aren’t aware of it. We dream our dreams and go on about our business as if fulfillment isn’t all around us. At least I will say that happens to me (shouldn’t attempt to speak for everybody!). When I finally stop being so busy, settle down and express my gratitude, then I am aware of some of what has been going on both inside and outside of me! Love all your music posts!
You’re right.
The bird song encourages listeners to focus on the beauty that surrounds us everyday . . . definitely a good thing.
Glad you’re enjoying the music posts.
Wow, what an incredible story. Lots of food for thought.
Whether you believe you can, or you can’t, you’re right. : )
Conceive it –> believe it –> achieve it!
I’ve also been searching and searching for a downloadable version of the song from voices (It’s called Children’s song and was sung by Jimmy Webb…but it isn’t on any of his albums and there isn’t a sound track to the movie)…bit frustrating. I havve an old recording and I guess that’s just as good as it’s gonna get.
You may bump into it when you least expect it! 😀
I sang the song Paula posted about in about 1988 in 5th grade in Rockford, IL in King Koraliers (choir). I have googled by lyric and had no idea what it was called or what it was from. I hadn’t thought of it in eons, but it just came to mind as I was singing my 2 year old to sleep. I wish I could find that song. Thanks for posting all the lyrics. They were a little rusty in my brain! Now I can sing the whole thing through without la-la-ing. Haha!
Awesome! Glad that Paula could be of service to you and your “wee one.” 😀
PS The wikipedia entry for Jimmy Webb says there is a 1979 soundtrack for voices and the song was recorded by Andrew and David Williams. Someone posted it on youtube titled “For Phoebe”. Poster name is hothotpastrami (????). Took some searching to find it.
Good luck!
Thanks, Christi. I’m amazed you found it at all! 😀
Great post, Nancy!
Thanks, Tom! I love the story of the Miracle Man telling his doctors that he would recover in ways they could never imagine.
Both beautiful songs…and an inspiring experience. Oh, I wish my husband’s brother Jon could have found a way….he tried, but couldn’t. He died a week ago today of cancer. I’ll hope this steady sadness will soon fly away.
Sorry to hear that, Kathy. There is much we still do not understand . . . I’m convinced that many illnesses we face could be cured with holistic remedies, but not all.
When a toddler gets an inoperable brain tumor, it’s hard to envision that it was caused by poor lifestyle choices.
Thanks Nancy….. it was found too late to do anything and he chose to not have treatments that would impaired the quality of his life. He lived this past year with enthusiasm, creativity, a positive state of mind and deep appreciation of life….years of having learned to steady the mind/body with meditation and yoga helped. And yes, there are those situations when it doesn’t seem to make sense, at least not from a perspective of lifestyle choices.
Sounds like he was doing all the right things . . . including living life fully right up to the end. But it brings home that none of us know how long we have . . . so we ought to make the most of today.