Dear friends,
The day after a major holiday is a bit of a let-down. Our energy has been in one direction for a few months, then it’s over. The decorations begin to look a bit out of place. We shift our attention to the next big day and the process goes on throughout the year. Humans need reasons to celebrate, to break up the tedium of everyday life. Our culture is such that we find little to think of as a reason to celebrate on a day to day basis. And yet, that is exactly what we ought to be doing. Other cultures around the world do it, why are we so inclined to ignore the moment and its inherent perfection?
Perhaps it is because we have become so goal oriented. Goals are good, but if our life is mostly futurizing, we miss the present. Think of all the TV commercials about saving for retirement. If that is a major goal, then we are unlikely to take career risks. We might become afraid to make a move. Alan Watts wrote a great book titled “the wisdom of insecurity.” It is a philosophical statement of just how fleeting this life is, how temporary all materiality is, how the pursuit of security robs us of vitality.
In western life, it becomes a both/and situation, a kind of balancing act. We want to make sure we can afford to live here after a lifetime of working, but we also want to enjoy right now. Simple things keep us in touch with beauty and love; things like gardening, making a pot of soup that takes some time; arranging flowers, even washing our own car. Every day as I write these little messages, I cut and paste and do the mailing myself, rather than have a service send them out. I like a more hands-on relationship with the process itself, and I feel a connection to the people who read them. I see the same names on the lists and in some cases I am reminded of times I spent with those friends. You are probably one of them. Let’s take time this New Year to feel the moment, experience the people, create some beauty, be relaxed with work. Our life is about being alive, not preparing to stop working.
Stay tuned in,
Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com
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