In turbulent times its a worthy endeavor to revisit some of the quintessential questions of life.
What is the meaning of life? What is its purpose? Why are you here? And where are you going?
There is no exact answer of course. Just speculations that are derived from scientific inquiry, political philosophies, religious traditions and personal experiences.
"Life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced" -- Soren Kierkegaard Danish Philosopher
Science cannot provide an answer to "meaning." What it can do is exam the evidence of life, the observable "effects" including "what's so" and "what was." The Big Bang theory is the scientific orthodoxy for how it all began and in some sense a scientific analog to the story of Genesis.
Science attempts to explain things by documenting physical phenomena in the form of principles and theories. The method is systemic, repeatable and probabilistic.
Science is an extraordinary tool for understanding the nature of physical reality. But it is no substitute for your own 360 degree participation in the "reality of experience." It does provides a context to create "knowledge" and discover "cause and effect" relationships. It can inform us regarding the physical. Yet, it does not derive meaning.
Instead, it gives "context" for meaning.
To ask what "something" means is in essence asking what consequence it has now and into the future. Ultimate meaning is elusive. Contextual meaning is not. Every thing has its essence, and a predisposition to behave in a particular way depending on the stimulus.
I believe meaning is discovered in the act of living a fully conscious life. We know the meaning when we commit to living in full awareness even if we cannot articulate what it is exactly.
We know it by living it.
The quest for meaning is found in the act of living.
Inquiry is useful, profoundly useful at times. The quest of living a fully conscious life is the space and place to experience meaning in the most delightful way.
It is not found in a Petri dish, or the halls of congress or in our personal philosophies.
We find meaning in context. We create meaning in living a fully conscious life.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
What does 2009 and 1934 Have in common?
Life is curious indeed. Just one look and it will be apparent. God help us all.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Adversity - Friend or Foe?
"All Growth is Forged in the Crucible of Conflict" - Robert Louis Stevenson
What does every story require to keep our attention?
Two things; A protagonists we can relate to and actively cheer on and an antagonists we can project our fear and anger on to and deeply want to see vanquished by our hero. In short, the story requires conflict. Not just any conflict, but conflict that casts doubts on the ability of the protagonist to win the day.
To keep our attention the story needs tension, moments of sublime doubt, adversity.
It is the tension created by this conflict that compels us to read further. We want to know how our hero overcomes the challenge set forth by his rival. The conclusion to this struggle is always resolved in the climax when hero and anti-hero battle it out in one final clash.
The key element is how the protagonists handles ADVERSITY.
Within the framework of our own journey, many battles are fought. More often than not, we find ourselves in over our heads. Ill prepared for the demands of the challenge.
The options are alliterated in the classic "Flight, Fight or Fright" pattern.
Challenges created through adversity are with us as part of the warp and woof of daily life. How we respond to these assaults on our psyches determine the quality of our life.
Every adverse circumstance, condition or challenge is a clarion call to live our own heroic journey, and a choice point to follow our bliss and live the life we have endeavored to imagine.
Now here is the sticky part.
We all have a closet full of fears poised to crush our will and a few gators hiding under our beds (aka our subconscious minds). Within this house of fears we all have strategies albeit mostly unconscious to handle "adversity" They consists of the standard pattern of "Fight or Flight" behaviors and its myriad derivatives.
At worst, we avoid the challenge all together hoping to live another day. At best, we manage the challenge by reducing the risk of lost. With either approach we somehow stay alive.
Is this really living?
Is there another way? Can we transcend our risk adverse tendencies which are centered on a combination of coping behaviors?
I say we can.
What is required is a new way of harnessing the power contained in the struggle. Within every challenge is the seed of an opportunity. To find this opportunity we must choose a path that supports our deepest aspirations.
How?
Rather than seeking ways to avoid, cope with, survive or manage the adversity we can choose to find the benefit hidden within, the golden nugget of transformation and personal power reclamation. Seek the benefits that will accrue to you as a direct result of your choosing to take it on.
Turn your fear into power by turning your adversity into a challenge.
The crucible of conflict need not be shied away from when you take it on as a challenge. The benefit to you is the reclamation of your authentic personal power and the realization of your real self.
What does every story require to keep our attention?
Two things; A protagonists we can relate to and actively cheer on and an antagonists we can project our fear and anger on to and deeply want to see vanquished by our hero. In short, the story requires conflict. Not just any conflict, but conflict that casts doubts on the ability of the protagonist to win the day.
To keep our attention the story needs tension, moments of sublime doubt, adversity.
It is the tension created by this conflict that compels us to read further. We want to know how our hero overcomes the challenge set forth by his rival. The conclusion to this struggle is always resolved in the climax when hero and anti-hero battle it out in one final clash.
The key element is how the protagonists handles ADVERSITY.
Within the framework of our own journey, many battles are fought. More often than not, we find ourselves in over our heads. Ill prepared for the demands of the challenge.
The options are alliterated in the classic "Flight, Fight or Fright" pattern.
Challenges created through adversity are with us as part of the warp and woof of daily life. How we respond to these assaults on our psyches determine the quality of our life.
Every adverse circumstance, condition or challenge is a clarion call to live our own heroic journey, and a choice point to follow our bliss and live the life we have endeavored to imagine.
Now here is the sticky part.
We all have a closet full of fears poised to crush our will and a few gators hiding under our beds (aka our subconscious minds). Within this house of fears we all have strategies albeit mostly unconscious to handle "adversity" They consists of the standard pattern of "Fight or Flight" behaviors and its myriad derivatives.
At worst, we avoid the challenge all together hoping to live another day. At best, we manage the challenge by reducing the risk of lost. With either approach we somehow stay alive.
Is this really living?
Is there another way? Can we transcend our risk adverse tendencies which are centered on a combination of coping behaviors?
I say we can.
What is required is a new way of harnessing the power contained in the struggle. Within every challenge is the seed of an opportunity. To find this opportunity we must choose a path that supports our deepest aspirations.
How?
Rather than seeking ways to avoid, cope with, survive or manage the adversity we can choose to find the benefit hidden within, the golden nugget of transformation and personal power reclamation. Seek the benefits that will accrue to you as a direct result of your choosing to take it on.
Turn your fear into power by turning your adversity into a challenge.
The crucible of conflict need not be shied away from when you take it on as a challenge. The benefit to you is the reclamation of your authentic personal power and the realization of your real self.
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