President Biden, Celine Dione and Women Who Run with the Wolves

Yes, there really is a common thread: living your dharma.

Photo by Eva Blue on Unsplash

Hi Friends,

Not everyone will agree with my opinion that Celine Dion’s single-minded focus to return to singing in front of the thousands of people who adore her and with whom she loves back is a testimony to following one’s Dharma (purpose). Especially to the degree to which the singer underwent to accomplish her goal.

Dharma = Purpose

Recently, my husband and I watched the documentary I Am: Celine Dion. It was not an easy, let’s chill and eat popcorn kind of film. The documentary, a compelling, heart-breaking look into Celine Dion's life, is honest and painfully graphic. In revealing the depth of her battle with the rare disease, Stiff Person’s Syndrome, Celine Dion is at her most vulnerable. Showing the viewer her life in fragments, we’re able to gain a glimpse into her extraordinary journey from girlhood to the woman she is today. And her battle to overcome the illness that has left her unable to perform at the level of excellence she demands of herself.

Purpose or Pushing

Days after watching the film, I read an article written by Imola at The Art of Lite Living, sharing her thoughts on the message of the documentary. The essay is well-written and thought-provoking, and I appreciated her perspective. As a yoga teacher and transformational coach, I sat with Imola’s words as I practiced, meditated, and went about my day. I even discussed with a friend who had also watched the documentary if she thought the film was sending a negative message - see the quote below from the essay.

“It is messages of this kind that celebrate an unhealthy addiction to achievement that encourage us to push ourselves too hard — sometimes to a breaking point — before realizing that we have gone too far.”

My friend and I agreed to give it more thought. Ultimately, I disagreed.

President Biden

This brings me to President Biden and his decision to step back from the Presidential race in order to allow Vice-President Kamala Harris the opportunity to step forward and into her Dharma. (More on Vice-President Harris in next week’s essay)

None of us ordinary citizens, even those close to the President, really know what the final chink in the armor was that led to the tweet heard around the world. Or what specifically prompted the President to accept that if he persisted in his single-minded focus, that he, and he alone, could beat Donald Trump, the Republican Party and save democracy from the hands of a would-be dictator, that he would actually do the country, his party, and his legacy grave harm.

Now, you could argue that Celine Dion is not running for President of the United States and that their paths and decisions are as far apart as, well, Kamala and Donald’s visions for the country.

On the other hand, are they?

Grace and Grit

Both President Biden and Celine Dion surround themselves with a team of experts who gather facts, data, and opinions and then offer their advice and guidance based on the findings. Family and friends also weigh in, holding, we hope, their best interests as a priority.

Like many of us, I was relieved when President Biden announced his decision not to run for office. His doing so gave Vice-President Harris the opportunity to do what he himself desired: beat Donald Trump—and the threat of Project 2025.

President Biden was confronted with the fact that age, health, and stamina were not in his favor. For over 50 years of service to the American people, the President lived his Dharma with grace and grit, and he continues to live his Dharma with grace and grit.

Our DNA

As did the President, Celine Dion can not—not pursue her life path with fierce single-mindedness. It’s in her DNA. Like Kelly Clarkson, I was moved to tears when I watched Celine Dion sing, for the first time in years, at the opening of the Paris Olympics.

In the end, who are we to say when a person needs to step down; their unyielding focus is harmful, not helpful, and perhaps an addiction?

Do I have that ferocious tenacity in my personal pursuits? In some ways, yes. To the level of Celine Dion? Hmm, not even. After hearing Celine’s performance at the opening ceremony, Kelly Clarkson called her “a vocal athlete.” From my perspective, the path forward for Celine Dion to live a meaningful life on her terms was and is to train and train hard, like the Olympic athletes we’re so enthralled with watching and cheering on.

In her seminal book, Women Who Run With the Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola Estes writes, “Wolves and women are relational by nature, inquiring, possessed of great endurance and strength. They are deeply intuitive, immensely concerned with their young, their mate and their pack. They are experienced in adapting to constantly changing circumstances; they are fiercely stalwart and very brave.”

Celine’s determination to confront her greatest fears, never sing live again, never be a conduit for the transmission exchanged between her and her audience, and share her story is one wolf woman baring her teeth, leading her pack, and living her Dharma—no matter the cost.