Blog-a-thon Day 25

"Just because you have the right to do it, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do."

 ~~Michael Steele 

http://prageruniversity.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=62

 PS  Scroll down just a little when you get there. 

Blog-a-thon Day 24

Ken Veit is my guest blogger for today. He is a business associate of my husband, Neil. His wisdom makes me think.

 If you haven't pondered the meaning of life lately, here's your opportunity.

"What are the necessary conditions for an individual’s life to feel meaningful? Most people begin with health and some measure of financial security, but we all know of people who led lives that were meaningful to them, even though they had great physical handicaps (think Helen Keller) or always seemed to be on the edge financially. Many of the great entrepreneurs lived exciting lives despite going bankrupt on several occasions. So, I conclude that health and wealth are important but not absolutely necessary for a meaningful life, unless one becomes totally debilitated or penurious.
 
As far as I can ascertain, three things are necessary for an individual’s life to have meaning: (1) There must be some involvement with others; (2) There must be achievable goals; and (3) There must be uncertainty. I will elaborate.
 
The writer Robert Ardrey studied a vast number of animal species and discovered (The Territorial Imperative) that they all seek three things, without which survival is difficult: (1) relief from anxiety; (2) relief from boredom; and (3) a sense of place in the pecking order. It is not difficult to extend this concept to humans (although Ardrey did not). In the animal world, these needs are met in the constant struggle over territory, which may explain man’s constant quest for material things.
 
Beyond material things, however, there is a universal desire in man to achieve relevance and respect. However, we need other people in our lives if we are to be relevant and gain respect. These give us a sense of our place in society, and they make us feel secure in that place. We need goals and risks for stimulation, or else we grow bored. Uncertainty and hope are what underlie stimulation. Without uncertainty life would be boring. Without hope, there would be no point in trying. It is in the trying that we achieve both stimulation and the respect of others.
 
Imagine a Robinson Crusoe existence, where there is no one else to measure yourself against, laugh with, or share experiences with. Life would be little but a struggle to survive.
 
Imagine a life without goals. This is a real concern for many retirees who suddenly find themselves with nothing to do after a lifetime of work. I had two aunts who lived into their 90’s. One asked me, “Why am I still alive? I have nothing to do or look forward to.” The other said that every day she got up and asked who she could help. One of her daily “To Do’s” was to “Make somebody laugh.” She knitted me a beautiful blanket that she only finished the week she died at 98.
 
Imagine a life without uncertainty. The writer H.L. Mencken wrote that if the future was certain, every rational person would commit suicide. It is the tension that accompanies uncertainty that makes life stimulating. Will he or won’t he? Can I or can’t I? Who will prevail? If the answers were all known in advance, we might feel more secure, but boredom would overwhelm us.
 
Of course stimulation and anxiety are often opposed, in that too much stimulation can lead to excessive anxiety, while lack of stimulation breeds boredom. Maintaining one’s place in a pecking order can be stimulating, but also cause great anxiety, while rising in the world can actually undermine security, as in the old adage, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”
 
In other words, finding the proper balance between one’s interactions with others, goal setting, and risk taking is critical to leading a meaningful life.
 
But if these are necessary conditions, are they also sufficient? Suppose you have family and/or friends to whom you are relevant and who respect you. Suppose also that you have realistic but challenging goals, and that health and financial concerns are not of excessive concern? Is a meaningful life assured?
 
I can think of one other thing that must be thrown in the mix: luck. Random chance impacts on us all, for good or ill. A small event, a seemingly inconsequential decision, or just a bolt out of the blue can send one’s life spinning in a different direction, for better or worse. Good luck is not a necessary condition for a meaningful life, but perhaps absence of bad luck is."

LOTS of food for thought here, don't ya think.  Send me your thoughts dear readers.
 

Blog-a-thon Day 23... whoo, hoo!

Random thoughts on thoughts....

This came into my email box a few days ago. I subscribe to Andrea Beauileu's daily Ah-Ha's.

"What ideas do you carry about yourself, or someone else, that are truly not true? Have you ever really questioned what your mind says?

P.S. So many of our thoughts have no basis in reality. None whatsoever. Be skeptical of your thoughts, and you just might find your authentic voice -- moi!!" For more about "your authentic voice", check out http://www.yourauthenticvoice.com/.

This led me to some thoughts about thoughts.

Thoughts are constant and yes, often extremely inaccurate. I mean, where do we get some of this junk our mind makes up all day? A lot of it has no basis in reality yet we often give tremendous power to our thoughts. We actually believe them and then maybe even act on them and then sometimes wonder how we manage to mess things up. Hmmm....

I've decided it is very important to be skeptical of our thoughts and mindful before we act on them.  Personally, I have gotten myself into trouble in the past by acting too quickly on some of my thoughts.

Here's what Sally Kempton, writer for Yoga Journal says about thoughts. (http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/1106)

"Everything that appears in your mind is made of consciousness, or, if you like, mind energy. Your thoughts and feelings--the difficult, negative, passionate ones as well as the peaceful and clever ones--are all made of the same subtle, invisible, highly dynamic "stuff." Mind energy is so evanescent that it can dissolve in a moment, yet so powerful that it can create an inner reality that runs you for a lifetime.

The fact is that most of us never pay attention to the substance of our thoughts. We are much too caught up in their content, which we implicitly believe is important and real. In fact, thought content is simply the passing form that thought energy happens to be taking at any given moment. There's an energetic dance going on inside everyone's mind, but rather than seeing the dance itself, we get caught up in its story line."

I guess it's the mind's job to have thoughts. That's what it does. However, we can make it our job to spend some time (yoga class, meditation, LIFE) just being an observer. We can watch the thoughts without becoming actively engaged with them. I practice this regularly and yes, it is often very challenging. However, just the act of trying even for a couple of minutes, can be powerful.

Today in yoga class I got some help with this.  We practiced using the mantra "let it be". As we did our breathing we repeated "let it be". When we noticed we were getting caught up in our thoughts again during class, "let it be" helped settle the mind back down.

"Not doing a very good job in this yoga pose. Let it be. Grocery list? Let it be. Hope I get to my next appointment on time. Let it be. Nervous about an important meeting I have later in the day. Let it be." You get the idea.

"Let it be."  Short, simple and to the point.  I kinda like that mantra. How about you?

PS Yesterday's post had an issue with the link. Some of you may have received it in your email box before it was corrected. Scroll down and you will find it is now working and well worth the view.