Tuesday 4 - The Art of Living

 

1. What gives your life meaning or purpose?    Why does it do that for you?
   
   My kids, even though they need me less and less, which is good.
   
   My friends. The exchange of kindness, enjoying different views on life, different experiences. I can be myself without people judging me. That's a relief after a life full of judgements...first of my mother, then of Mr. J.
   I can make my own decisions and my friends will back me up.
   
   The veterans. Giving and using what I know and can do for them, using my talents, improving their lives, even when it is only by listening, or by something small.. the concentration when dealing with them... the direction to them and not to me...
   
   I am a buddhist, so that gives a meaning to my life too. A way of thinking and a way of behaving. A lifestyle.
   
   I always gave people support and help pro deo... so without pay.
   It never bothered me, until I started struggling with a small pension, and realised I had not cared for my old age well enough.
   But I always remember my gram telling me that she had no food for the children during WW2 and she was walking to the house of her sister to see if she had something. Then a car passed and a cauliflower roled on the street, and the car drove on. She took the cauliflower and had food on the table.
   
   I got some unexpected money back from the taxes. Hope they haven't made a mistake! It feels like a gift. (Which in fact it isn't...)
   
   
2. How do you define success and happiness for yourself?  
   
   Succes is the positive outcome of something you set out to do. So it's good planning, a bit of luck, persistence and the whole lot.
   
   Happiness is a positive feeling, a temporary state of mind.
   
   
3. What lessons have your biggest challenges taught you?  
   
   Learn the lesson, deal with the consequences and move on.
   The lesson might be of benefit for someone else. Like when I was in hospital and was dying.
   
   Dealing with Mr. J. was very hard. That was not my karma.... but his, and I played a role in it so he had choices. That was also on his death announcement: "choices."
   
   The accident/ankle issue: hmmm... I am still dealing with that. Well, it opens up the injured veterans... Now I am one of them... in a way.
   
   Looking back I think that it has taught me I need to find a way myself, and shouldn't be depending on someone or something outside. I should be responsible for myself, and don't hand it over.
   My purpose is directed toward others... and should be. To allow others the freedom to live their lives their own way and make their own choices.
   
   
4. How do you want to impact the world or those around you?
   
   Sometimes I don't know.
   I don't want to bother people, but when I ask something they make me feel I do.
   I want to have a good time, but I always have to ask here in The Netherlands. Like they don't want me to be there. So I back out. Sometimes even with an excuse.
   
   (In England I am one of the group, I am included.. it's so different!)
   
   In a way it's not about how I want to impact the world or those around me, but how they want me to have an impact on them.
   
   
   
   
   
   

. . .

About **Syl

Syl: "Life is a chain of challenges. Sometimes the largest challenges are we ourselves. Facing life, facing others and facing yourself requires either a worryless attitude or plain courage. Most of the time it is dealing with judgement. Maybe life is about getting rid of it."