The ride that never ends
I'm still trying to get through The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck because there's a whole lot of pound-you-in-the-head information and I'm attempting to process it all, and then I don't want to process it all because changing how you think hurts so I read novel after novel because experiencing someone else's fictional life makes me forget my own, just for a little while. Talk about ostrich-coping.
In my hiatus from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, I have found another book that's probably going to blow me away as well. I've just begun Maria Shriver's I've Been Thinking: Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life. I didn't get through the introduction without dissolving into tears. Because that's what I want. A Meaningful Life. I don't want to die and be standing at the Pearly Gates with St. Peter looking down at me and asking, So, what did you do with the life God gave you? Uh, I . . . uh . . . .
What is a meaningful life? What does that look like? It'll be different for everyone, and I believe a lot of people will never really think about it. What might look like a meaningful life could constitute a good-paying job, a nice house in the suburbs or a modern, trendy condo/apartment in the city, a new or newish car, a partner/spouse, maybe a child or two, vacations in Hawaii or Aspen -- things like that. But those are ambitions, aspirations, goals. I believe the impetus for a meaningful life comes from within, from that place called the soul, the spirit, the fire that makes you an individual like no other.
Shriver says, ". . . I believe that every single one of us is here on this earth for a reason. I believe it's our life's work to figure out who we are, what we think, what our gifts are, and how we can make a difference in this world." I love these statements. The ideas are not new; others have said the same thing many times before, but, as they say, when the student is ready, the teacher will come. Sometimes you can hear the same thought, idea, words over and over, and it really doesn't impact you until one day it does. This is my day, but it comes after decades of searching and learning and falling down and crying and shouting and wondering and kvetching.
So, what is a Meaningful Life for me? I have always loved animals. Since I was a child, I have been rescuing cats, birds, dogs, squirrels, and currently a raccoon. And I have always loved writing. Through this gift I can "talk" to people and maybe help one or two individuals along the way to see something differently. Because that's how I see writing -- it's a look into a different universe created by a unique someone I have never met, whether it's fiction, poetry, non-fiction, commentary, etc.
Right now, I am at a crossroads. Things must change. Where I am right now is not the place I want to be, although the "sages" always say I am where I'm supposed to be, which can be downright depressing if you ask me. But this goes back to Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Don't get caught up in the small-town drama of your life. Give a f*ck about what really matters. Decide what really matters and make that count. Make it your life, your meaningful life. And know that there is no such thing as a perfect life. As Shriver says, "Let's face it: life is one hell of a rollercoaster ride."
In my hiatus from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, I have found another book that's probably going to blow me away as well. I've just begun Maria Shriver's I've Been Thinking: Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life. I didn't get through the introduction without dissolving into tears. Because that's what I want. A Meaningful Life. I don't want to die and be standing at the Pearly Gates with St. Peter looking down at me and asking, So, what did you do with the life God gave you? Uh, I . . . uh . . . .
What is a meaningful life? What does that look like? It'll be different for everyone, and I believe a lot of people will never really think about it. What might look like a meaningful life could constitute a good-paying job, a nice house in the suburbs or a modern, trendy condo/apartment in the city, a new or newish car, a partner/spouse, maybe a child or two, vacations in Hawaii or Aspen -- things like that. But those are ambitions, aspirations, goals. I believe the impetus for a meaningful life comes from within, from that place called the soul, the spirit, the fire that makes you an individual like no other.
Shriver says, ". . . I believe that every single one of us is here on this earth for a reason. I believe it's our life's work to figure out who we are, what we think, what our gifts are, and how we can make a difference in this world." I love these statements. The ideas are not new; others have said the same thing many times before, but, as they say, when the student is ready, the teacher will come. Sometimes you can hear the same thought, idea, words over and over, and it really doesn't impact you until one day it does. This is my day, but it comes after decades of searching and learning and falling down and crying and shouting and wondering and kvetching.
So, what is a Meaningful Life for me? I have always loved animals. Since I was a child, I have been rescuing cats, birds, dogs, squirrels, and currently a raccoon. And I have always loved writing. Through this gift I can "talk" to people and maybe help one or two individuals along the way to see something differently. Because that's how I see writing -- it's a look into a different universe created by a unique someone I have never met, whether it's fiction, poetry, non-fiction, commentary, etc.
Right now, I am at a crossroads. Things must change. Where I am right now is not the place I want to be, although the "sages" always say I am where I'm supposed to be, which can be downright depressing if you ask me. But this goes back to Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Don't get caught up in the small-town drama of your life. Give a f*ck about what really matters. Decide what really matters and make that count. Make it your life, your meaningful life. And know that there is no such thing as a perfect life. As Shriver says, "Let's face it: life is one hell of a rollercoaster ride."
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