Quote Reflection #1: Henry David Thoureau (1817-1862)

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essentials facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived" - Henry David Thoureau


How many of us are simply existing, not really living? Most of us are "caught up" in all the trapping of modern life (paying bills or worrying about how we are gonna pay them, working that 9 to 5, credit scores, gas prices, eating or starving ourselves fat, etc...) so much so that we lose sight of what life is really all about.

What is life really about? The answer to that question could be debated for eternity.

However, I know what life is NOT about:

• Life is not simply about working and paying bills. Yeah, we all have to do it, but damn, don't let if BE YOUR LIFE. You are NOT your JOB! Your are NOT your JOB TITLE!
• Life is not simply about the accumulation of wealth and things. One day, you will lose all material possessions, if not by circumstances, then by death. In the end, all material possessions become "utterly insignificant." So, why do most of us spend most of our time pursing things, that in the end, prove themselves to be "utterly insignificant?" Perhaps, for some, the "pursuit" of material things becomes their life...what a waste.
• Life is not about impressing people. I think Oscar Wilde sums up people the best: "Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." If that is the case, why do most people determine their "worth" by what other people think or say? Maybe, because that is how our society is set up. Are not many of us "slaves to fashion"? Keeping up with the Joneses? Seeking constant validation or approval from others?

Fuck what people think about you! Yeah, I said the "F" word. The reality of life is that no one can live YOUR life, but you, not your mother, not your father, not your spouse, not your children...only you. So, if somebody doesn't like the way you are living, "Fuck them!" I am not saying "write them off." I am saying YOU need to live YOUR life for YOU! If people like you and accept you for who you are, great! If not, fuck them (I mean this in the kindest way possible).

Here's the reality of our "life situation":

• We don't really know how all of this (our reality) came about. I mean, what religion or scientist is TOTALLY right? Can we know ANYTHING with ABSOLUTE certainty?
• Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY has an opinion about EVERYTHING.
• One day, we will all die.

So, I say, life your life abundantly and authentically. Don't hurt or injure other people. Basically, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

To me, life is about taking the time to discover your passions and immersing yourselves in them...A life without passion is not a life at all...

On a personal note, some of my passions include: reading, writing, being outside in nature, landscaping, listening to music, learning about different cultures, contemplating life and death and the necessity of spirituality, etc...

Some things I want to make time for in this life: learning more than one language (being able to speak them fluently); traveling to different parts of the world and country to discover how differently people live, think, believe, and eat; play the piano; read the autobiographies of many famous and not so famous people; grow a vegetable garden; improve my drawing skills; sitting outside on the ground soaking up the sun, doing absolutely nothing at all...