is it just me, or is the meaning of life simply taking care of yourself?...
Lately, I'm noticing how much work it is to take care of myself properly:
- physically (eat well, sleep well, see docs regularly, etc)
- visually (hygiene, keep myself and my place clean and neat)
- spiritually/emotionally (nurture friendships, meditate/pray, relax/play/create, have fun, volunteer, etc)
- financially/professionally (studies, work, planning financially, etc)
There's of course also helping family and friends with all of the above on their side. And this is when I don't have an SO! So that'd add spending time with him and all that. It feels like taking proper care of oneself is a 24/7-job! Which leads me to thinking - is this all? is this what i'm meant to do? just take care of myself and my loved ones?
Going back to my fav't tree analogy, this makes sense... all a tree does is stand there and do what's intended - produce the leafs, drop the leafs, yada yada... for mammals, survival and reproduction is what's intended (don't ask by who! but that's what they do naturally, without thinking too much)... so i guess the goal is to do these two in the most favourable way (in my own eyes). (Note: reproduction doesn't necessarily mean having kids... more like a desire to leave a legacy - which could be children, but could also be, say, artistic creations, or scientific achievements, or many other things.)
You're quite right - it's hard to keep all the balls in the air. Most of us drop several at a time - not including the ones that land on our heads.
You have to pick priorities; most people will end up neglecting themselves and putting themselves last. You can only do that for so long, though. I decided a few years ago that if I want to be healthy into old age, I had to start making some better choices now. So at least I'm doing that, although I still need to do more.
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I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to my fellow creatures, let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
Interesting way of looking at things, and yes, it can feel that way!
To me, the spiritual side of things is the area which gives the whole lot greater meaning. And the rest of it, just takes time each day I guess. I hate the thought of being on a treadmill though, which is why I love travelling so much and seeing new places and people...and why I can't wait to devote another whole year to such pursuits!
One thing I notice missing in your structure is "Have Fun". In all the hustle and bustle of life, we sometimes fail to realize that in some way we must enjoy "life" and find for ourselves. It is feasible that enjoyment can be found in your commitment to help others, such as praying for them, spending time. But never neglect yourself either. So yeah, life could be summed up that way. But a movie could be summarized by saying, there is a beginning, a development, a climax, then the end, but in doing so you may miss the joy of watching the movie as a whole. You don't sound like you are down in your post so it seems like you might just be in a reflective kind of mood, just don't let the thought consume you. Thanks for the thought provoking post however.
Last edited by SouthernRomeo; 10th May 2004 at 8:10 PM..
in fact, i find a life devoted to taking care of myself (or even myself + my family) quite unsatisfying - i'd like to have a bigger goal, working towards which could bring me real satisfaction.
southernromeo: true, fun is very important, and sometimes i do forget about it, so thanks for the reminder
i guess in reality, it's a mixture. you do things to keep yourself going, and you keeping going so that you can do smth good for the world (including yourself)... perhaps this is a student syndrome! i'm soo used to working towards a credit, a diploma, an average, a degree... that now that i'm done with college, i'm seeking to fill the void of the next "mark" to be reached. yes, i think this is why i got so reflective when i posted!
In my life experience so far, life is full of phases, with new goals to reach, and corners to turn...once you get around one bend...the next one starts mapping itself out (with some help from you, and from fate). Every new stage is full of lessons, love, heartache and fun.
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