"To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity." Friedrich Nietzsche
I have been thinking about all the details of our lives, and how we sometimes might mistake the urgent for the important. The urgent is right there up in our face, demanding our time and attention. "This must be done now! Immediately! Yesterday, if not sooner! Drop what you are doing and take care of this right now!" it screams.
The important can be much more subtle, quietly tugging on our sleeve for a while, then walking away quietly when it fails to get our attention.
The urgent is the dinner that must be prepared. The important is the child who puts his arms up, asking to be held. The urgent is the client who calls and emails at all hours. The important is the spouse who would love to have a few minutes of our undivided attention. The urgent is the need to earn a living. The important is the desire to really live a life.
It's safe to say that most of us in modern day America are very busy. It's easy to get our priorities out of order. It's easy to cave into the demands of the urgent, while ignoring the important. So here is what I am going to do. Today I am going to take a few deep breaths and contemplate what truly gives my life meaning. Today I am going to ask the urgent to sit down and take a number, and focus my full attention to what is important. I've been ignoring it too much lately.
Susan
Showing posts with label purpose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label purpose. Show all posts
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Friday, July 15, 2011
Being Alive
"Life is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it. The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be. Being alive is the meaning." Joseph Campbell
The sages down through the ages have pondered the meaning of life and what its purpose might be. Some people find meaning in religion. They spend time in prayer, they read the sacred writings, they ask their god what his will would be, and they try to carry it out. Others find meaning in philanthropy, or perhaps helping their fellow men through medicine, science, music or art. There are those who chase the American dream, whose success in the business world provides jobs for other people. There are those who wander through life wondering what to do next, why they are here on this earth at this place and time, and what it is they should do. They seek meaning and purpose. They cry out for truth.
I recently read the book, "Conversations with God," by Neale Donald Walsch. I will paraphrase by saying that at one point in the book he says that we used to beg the universe for truth, and now we tell the universe our truth. I mean no disrespect to readers who embrace a more conventional faith. That is not the path that I have chosen, however.
It's my belief that Joseph Campbell nailed it when he said that the only meaning my life has is what I bring to it. I create the kind of life I want. I choose what is meaningful. I bring purpose to my life. An avid reader, I am by nature a thinker and I enjoy gathering different viewpoints, but when it comes down to what am I to do with my life, it's all up to me. I choose what is meaningful. I decide what my purpose is.
What makes you feel alive? What do you find meaningful? What are the things that you do on purpose? What is your truth?
Susan
The sages down through the ages have pondered the meaning of life and what its purpose might be. Some people find meaning in religion. They spend time in prayer, they read the sacred writings, they ask their god what his will would be, and they try to carry it out. Others find meaning in philanthropy, or perhaps helping their fellow men through medicine, science, music or art. There are those who chase the American dream, whose success in the business world provides jobs for other people. There are those who wander through life wondering what to do next, why they are here on this earth at this place and time, and what it is they should do. They seek meaning and purpose. They cry out for truth.
I recently read the book, "Conversations with God," by Neale Donald Walsch. I will paraphrase by saying that at one point in the book he says that we used to beg the universe for truth, and now we tell the universe our truth. I mean no disrespect to readers who embrace a more conventional faith. That is not the path that I have chosen, however.
It's my belief that Joseph Campbell nailed it when he said that the only meaning my life has is what I bring to it. I create the kind of life I want. I choose what is meaningful. I bring purpose to my life. An avid reader, I am by nature a thinker and I enjoy gathering different viewpoints, but when it comes down to what am I to do with my life, it's all up to me. I choose what is meaningful. I decide what my purpose is.
What makes you feel alive? What do you find meaningful? What are the things that you do on purpose? What is your truth?
Susan
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Preparation or Procrastination?
"You DO know what to do." Louise L. Hay
I was not one of those "because I said so" kind of parents. I tried not to be a dictator. One of my sons went through a stage where he would say, "I don't understand." I would tell him no and explain why he couldn't do something. Then he would say, "I don't understand." He did indeed understand. He just didn't like my answer.
There is an adult version of this. It's called, "I don't know what to do." Now there is absolutely a time in the decision making process where you truly don't know what to do. You are still evaluating and weighing options. You are still making your list of pros and cons. There are still a few loose ends you need to tie up. This is necessary. But it could be that we let it go on too long and preparation turns into procrastination. We bore our friends with endless talk of our dilemma, we give ourselves a headache thinking and thinking and thinking about it. If you're like me, sometimes you know intuitively, immediately, what to do, but want to analyze and rationalize. We say, "I don't know what to do." But we do know what to do. We know exactly what we should do. We just don't want to do it. Yet. Or ever.
I don't really know why we lie to ourselves this way. Maybe it's because if we would admit that we know precisely what it is we should do, the clock would then start ticking. And we couldn't keep putting it off indefinitely.
Susan
I was not one of those "because I said so" kind of parents. I tried not to be a dictator. One of my sons went through a stage where he would say, "I don't understand." I would tell him no and explain why he couldn't do something. Then he would say, "I don't understand." He did indeed understand. He just didn't like my answer.
There is an adult version of this. It's called, "I don't know what to do." Now there is absolutely a time in the decision making process where you truly don't know what to do. You are still evaluating and weighing options. You are still making your list of pros and cons. There are still a few loose ends you need to tie up. This is necessary. But it could be that we let it go on too long and preparation turns into procrastination. We bore our friends with endless talk of our dilemma, we give ourselves a headache thinking and thinking and thinking about it. If you're like me, sometimes you know intuitively, immediately, what to do, but want to analyze and rationalize. We say, "I don't know what to do." But we do know what to do. We know exactly what we should do. We just don't want to do it. Yet. Or ever.
I don't really know why we lie to ourselves this way. Maybe it's because if we would admit that we know precisely what it is we should do, the clock would then start ticking. And we couldn't keep putting it off indefinitely.
Susan
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