The Infinite Passion of Life

A single improvement is often enough to produce far-reaching consequences in one’s fortune. – Max Gunther, The Luck Factor

For most of us the prospect of a invigorating beginning in a new Location, a fresh start in life — re-energizes us. It brings about a feeling of what I call that let-out-of-school feeling.

“Why is this let-out-of-school feeling so important to our emotional health and well-being?” you may be wondering (I hope you are!).

Because the ability to notice and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us--no matter our location or vocation in life--is vital. A change of scenery or pleasant, much-anticipated diversion from our usual pace is often just the ticket to make that occur.

Appreciation allows life to pour more of itself [life energy] into us.

“The moment we fully appreciate beauty we become more than what we were (it lightens our greed),” Roberto Assagioli wrote in his book Psychosynthesis. “We live a moment of pure psychological health

“Full consciousness brings joy,” author Wayne Amos wrote many years ago. “One of the mysteries is that the universe contains innate joy. Once you open your senses to anything--a sunset, a waterfall, a stone, a blade of grass--the joy comes.”

Ready For Sightseeing?

“We are departing for the skies. Who has a mind for sightseeing?” the poet Rumi asked.

The skies here are not the “friendly skies” a certain airline has encouraged us to fly, but the skies of imagination.

A bit of wispy daydreaming wedded to commitment on our part and, before you know it, you’re on your way--to your new home; a new location, new city, new job, new friends, perhaps even to your Paradise vacation spot or favorite retirement destination.

Before selling everything you own or packing it into storage and heading out to the open road and new adventures, however, I suggest you ask yourself (as I have), “What do I want for myself in this new moment?” (Janet Rainwater).

Life, I’ve found, does have a pesky way of asking you WHAT YOU TRULY WANT AND DESIRE and it wants YOUR reply. My own experiences have shown me that life wants: a crystal-clear answer from you--”Yes, this is it! This is what I want to be, do, and how I desire to enjoy my remaining time here.”

If your answer is, “I’m not sure,” then I suggest you close your eyes and daydream.

First, try envisioning what an ideal day would be like for you. Write down, and be very specific, about what you envision.

When you do this, you are departing for the skies within.

Faith and Confidence in Your Future

All of us care about financial security. Money allows us to say “Yes” to ourselves and to new experiences in life. It is a bit costly to sample many of life’s delights (here and abroad), isn’t it?

Money, however, has no idea what we think OF or ABOUT it. Money is neutral in that sense. So, wherever you move--or even if you stay in your present location--your feelings about money (your scarcity consciousness/abundance consciousness quotient) will determine, even in Paradise, whether or not you feel financially secure.

Dr. John Diamond’s (Your Body Doesn’t Lie) wonderful affirmation, “I have faith and confidence in my future. I am secure,” is worth taking along with you wherever you go.

Security: A Place Within

I’d like to share with you my personal favorite definition of security:

“Security is not a place of ideological stability but a direction inspired by curiosity.”

How’s your direction-inspired-by-curiosity doing these days?

Well, I hope!

Those of you who are about to retire, or have already, remember as you try to figure out whether to sell your home and buy an RV, take a cruise around the world, or settle into a retirement community, “Plan to keep busy.”

“The practice of idleness is not as easy as it sounds,” Alan DeVoe reminds us.

Ask those who have tried idleness and found it lacking in meaning and a source, eventually, of much dissatisfaction and unhappiness.

Charles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip, observed that “Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use.”

To those of you a few years away from that “idle” life you imagine will be so wonderful--perhaps several or more moves are yet in your future--you have a big question to answer:

“In what should I creatively invest the remaining capital of my days? What projects? What goals? What do I really CARE about?”

I’ve known people in the 80’s--and one woman in her 90’s--who are still asking themselves similar questions.

One thing is certain. To quote the philosopher Lao Tse, “If you do not change direction [assuming you are dissatisfied at present], you may end up where you are heading.”

What Dreams May Be

The Italian film-maker Fellini wrote, “There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life.”

How strong is your commitment to what you say, in your heart of hearts, you really want? Is there anything you can start doing TODAY to power up your dream?

Are you willing to make the initial investment of buying back the time you are giving to television every night, the office talk that goes nowhere, shopping, or “having’ a few every night before heading home,” into achieving at least one thing in your heart of hearts you know you desire?

Only you know. No one else does. The results we see in a few years, however, will let everyone you know how you decided.

“Your health is bound to be affected if, day after day, you say the opposite of what you feel, if you grovel before what you dislike, and rejoice at what brings you nothing but misfortune,” Boris Pasternak wrote. “Our nervous system isn’t just a fiction.”

“Man’s main task in life,” Eric Fromm wrote, “is to give birth to himself. This is possible only when our interest in ourselves spills over into caring about our fellow men and women. Usually getting there requires a bit of living before that spillover occurs (except, perhaps, in those children who seem to be born with “old” and “wise” souls).

They are the exceptions.

We cannot live only for ourselves,” Herman Melville (author of Moby Dick) wrote. “A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow-men; and along those fibers as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes and they come back to us as effects.”

Try not to let everyday life get you down. If you do, down scores a triumphant victory over life, doesn’t it?

“The lucky renew their energy through the activity in which they’re engaged.” –-Max Gunther

“There is no end,” Fellini reminds us. “There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life.”