As I think about all of the people suffering globally during this economic recession I am reminded of my own pitfalls and sometimes I find myself feeling as if I just don’t measure up. I feel like a lesser version of the self I had planned to be and the self I am capable of being. There’s a part of me that feels like a failure.
But somehow, I know this isn’t the right mindset. Life is not about how much money you have, how much property you own, or who knows and respects your name. It just is… Despite hard times and struggle, I’m still me.
What remains the same? You might lose valued material possessions and you might even go without things you need, but there is still a part of you that is able to find joy, meaning, and hope, because you are the same, human, with or without material things.
“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” –John Lennon
Sometimes I think about those people who, at the beginning of the current economic crisis, owned their own home, then abruptly lost it due to foreclosure, and are now homeless. Then I have in my mind the stories about visionaries who had that one wonderful idea then became rich! Then I think about all the people in Mexico who dream of coming to the United States with the hope of making a better life for themselves. Then I say to myself that none of it matters.
Whether I am a day laborer in India, a cashier at your local department store, a teller at a bank, or one of the un-named people in Bible stories who roamed around with Jesus and Moses all day, at the end of the day, none of those things are what life is all about.
Life is about living. Living is enjoying the smile on a baby’s face, the aroma of a pretty flower, the soothing sounds of nature, the kindness of a stranger, or the warmth of a friend. It's about taking a moment to lie down in the grass to feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. It's about taking the time to listen to and enjoy complete silence.
Bask in the charm of the night sky. Look up and take into your being, the beauty of the moon and stars. Try to find the Big Dipper/Little Dipper. If it’s too cloudy but there’s a full moon, observe the way the light cuts in and out of the clouds in the night sky. Over time, these marvels of nature have not changed much and you can feel complete knowing that millions who lived before you looked up and saw the same thing. Just remember to breathe it all in. Forget about the madness in your life, the politics of the world, and lay the drama aside. Take a moment for yourself and be engulfed by the darkness, the oneness, and the stillness of nature.
Then sleep. Then wake-up. Then eat. Then work. Then play. But most importantly, live. Your existence on this earth is only fleeting and temporary. When you’re gone, your friends and loved ones will bury you in the ground and say good-bye, forever. Life as you knew it will truly be over. So today while you are alive, be sure to live. Time will keep ticking no matter how much you plan and no matter how much you worry.
So don’t ever lose sight of what LIFE is all about. It is about waking up in the morning and just being alive. We can’t really be sure of what the next month or year will bring or even certain that we will be here among the living. But at the end of the day, if you have food, clothing, shelter, and your health, you’re living a pretty good life.
And should you get sick and become unable to pay your medical bills, then you will eventually die as did billions of people before you. But until that sad day, what you have left is time. It's time to enjoy the rest of the life you have on this earth.
Meditation: Today I am grateful for every little thing, every peaceful moment, every opportunity.
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