Everything Changes, Constantly

     “Life comes in the form of opportunities, which are easy to recognize, after they have been wasted ... ”                Javan

Retirement - a Mixed Blessing

     Some of my colleagues have firmly declared "I'll never retire!" Like aging, retirement is NOT for the faint of heart. After all, one's work-related professional persona - "I'm seriously important, competent, indispensable, earn serious money," etc, etc - flies out the window with retirement. One becomes an ordinary slob - without consequence, without authority, without specialized skills, with MUCH reduced income!! - a MERE MORTAL!!!!! Ungrounded, adrift - "with no direction home, like a rolling stone ..."
     And this is GOOD! Because much of life, up till this point, has been an AVOIDANCE exercise! A pause button!! DELAYING growing up!!! Well, NOW it's time to grow up - unless we choose to "never retire!"
     It's not easy, but absolutely essential, to embrace life - AS IT IS, NO MATTER WHAT - with mind & heart wide open. It's time for .............. MINDFULNESS!!!!!!!!!

     See: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2012/07/investing-our-lifes-finite-time-energy.html
     and: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/03/302-mbsr-style-mindfulness-course-for.html
 

Marisela Murcia Navarro, National Geographic   http://photography.nationalgeographic.com

Expanding Our Horizons

      "It is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail."               Abraham Maslow

     The only tool most of us think we have, or at least trust, is our intellect. And we think we must, or at least trust above all else, an adversarial approach in all our relationships. Clearly our intellect is often hijacked by subconscious & conscious fears. See: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2014/02/current-bad-behavior-past-trauma-empathy.html and http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2013/07/collaborative-instead-of-adversarial.html

     But we have multiple intelligences. Is it not reasonable to make use of as many of them as possible, as often as possible? Would this approach not create greater balance & quality of life? Would it not allow us to think, and thrive, outside the proverbial, claustrophobic box?

     See: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/06/353-monash-university-opening-minds.html

     and: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2012/03/88-avoidance-approach-dichotomy.html

Tomas Meijer, National Geographic   http://photography.nationalgeographic.com

When Fear becomes Old ...

     “How strange that the nature of life is change, yet the nature of human beings is to resist change. And how ironic that the difficult times we fear might ruin us are the very ones that can break us open and help us blossom into who we were meant to be.
     I have watched people choose growth over fear as they navigated some of life’s most difficult transitions. I have seen how it is possible to approach the challenges of real life with openness and optimism – even with wisdom and joy.” 
 
       Lesser E. “Broken open. How difficult times can help us grow.” Villard, NY, 2005. 

www.quoteswave.com

Relationships & Character

To be capable of steady friendship or lasting love, are the two greatest proofs, not only of goodness of heart, but of strength of mind.

William Hazlitt

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/william_hazlitt.html#1Mc3ZcU8OzsXV5kQ.99

"To be capable of steady friendship or lasting love,
are the two greatest proofs, not only of goodness of heart,
but of strength of mind."                               William Hazlitt (1778-1830)

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/william_hazlitt.html

Wisdom - at Our Best

"That man is best who sees the truth himself.
Good too is he who listens to wise counsel.
But who is neither wise himself nor willing
to ponder wisdom is not worth a straw."          

       Hesiod, Greek poet 750-650 BCE

 

Réka Zsimon, National Geographic   http://photography.nationalgeographic.com

Things Are Never Quite Right - Is it Life or Just Me?

     Freud hoped to cure his patients of their neuroses so they could reach what he felt was the optimal level of human functioning "ordinary unhappiness"!
     Advertisers insist that if we buy all their products, all the time, we'll be young, gorgeous, sexy, popular, energetic, successful & deliriously happy - forever. 
     Are you living "the American dream"? If your life falls short of a beer ad, you're probably disappointed at some level, even if you habitually put on a brave face. Most of us don't want to appear "down", since that would clash with the beer-ad-version of life we think we should be living. What's wrong with us? Is it depression? Why do things seem more like Freud described than our current ideas about what's "normal"?
     Is it possible that the ancient concept of "dukkha" is profoundly correct? See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dukkha
     Is it possible that we can learn to clearly appreciate reality AND markedly improve our quality of life (without having to buy, buy, buy ...)? See: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2014/04/526-monitoring-my-state-of-being-moment.html

Pure Gold

     When we're young, we run on ghosts, hormones & momentum. Most of us remain more or less clueless throughout our adult lives, by default cruising on autopilot - letting the momentum of our lives run the show. In our 60's some of us start realizing that - hey - maybe I better start taking this life thing a bit more seriously. Maybe it's not an endless video game or dream after all.
     At this point, we may realize that there are TWO aspects of our being: the dumb-ass kid "me, myself & I", and the timeless witness who's aware of, but is nor really the kid. The kid is afraid & self-centered. The witness is wise, peaceful, still, timeless, egoless - maybe that's why, in our 60's, we're repeatedly shocked at the old guy looking back at us in the mirror!
     The kid wants to protect himself, his image, his ideas, his property, his group ... & so he produces garbage - the kid deludedly thinks that it's all about him. 
     The witness is altruistic & wants to benefit humanity & nature ... & so he produces pure gold - knowing that ultimately it's all one.