Friday, March 7, 2008

secret o' life

hello friends :)

welp, once again, lately i’m finding myself deep in thought about who i really wanna be and what i truly want out of my life.  hmmm you’d think by your early 30’s one might have or should have already figured that out! ;) (or, maybe not…)

as much as i try to promote a moderate take on most things in my world, in reality i end up making situations either very simplistic and to the point, or quite complicated and convoluted (as you consistently witness if you read my blog. LOL.).

the simplistic side is my innate nature; the complicated side has been born from all the struggles i’ve gone through and i’ve somehow come to be this perfectionistic freak that has to dissect EVERYthing, make assumptions about emotions and theorize how things got from path A to path B.

i waste a lot of time stewing about why something happened, what i can do to change it and makes sure it’s better next time.  notice i said waste.  is stewing and delving a contructive use of my energy and time?  most times i think not.  especially now that it’s becoming clearer to me that im missing out on a lot of life’s joys by trying to be some omniscient problem solver. 

am i making sense so far? ;)  hopefully you can somehow relate.  cause ya know, that’s why i blog—in hopes that i’m not the only crazy one!  hehe.

anyhoo, even tho i’m sure you’re prolly expecting a superdooper long-winded explanation of the secret o’ life— SURPRISE!!  i think i’m starting to understand the secret isnt just one or two specifics or even a top 10 list of things you should do to get the most out of your life.    

instead, its an all-encompassing foundation we should weave into every twist and turn in our lives, every journey uphill and downhill, every person we meet, every laugh line we grow on our cheeks, and every sad or proud tear we shed. 

and being a Christian, i believe, fervently, deep down in my heart that God wants us to give Him the burden of the world we try to carry on our shoulders on a daily basis and RELISH this gift of life he has given us.

we simply should not worry about trying to figure it all out.  its not our job.  if you’re like me and you’re exhausted from seeking answers to all your questions, maybe you should just enjoy the ride…

James Taylor, The Secret O’ Life

the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time
any fool can do it
there aint nothing to it
nobody knows how we got to
the top of the hill
but since were on our way down
we might as well enjoy the ride

the secret of love is in opening up your heart
its okay to feel afraid
but dont let that stand in your way
cause anyone knows that love is the only road
and since were only here for a while
might as well show some style
give us a smile

isnt it a lovely ride
sliding down
gliding down
try not to try too hard
its just a lovely ride

now the thing about time is that time
isnt really real
its just your point of view
how does it feel for you
einstein said he could never understand it all
planets spinning through space
the smile upon your face
welcome to the human race

some kind of lovely ride
i’ll be sliding down
i’ll be gliding down
try not to try too hard
its just a lovely ride

isnt it a lovely ride
slidin down
glidin down
try not to try too hard
its just a lovely ride

so enjoy the passage of time, huh?  it’s all about being present, in the moment.  take heart the miracle of emotions we can feel—joy, anguish, fear, pride, elation, love, belief, grief, gratefulness…grasp them tightly with your very soul, breathe them, cherish them.

i personally dont feel i should just coast thru life egotistically numb to circumstances and withholding compassion so i can enjoy life to the fullest with no responsibility.  i dont think i should relinquish my child-like wonder of creation and the world or stop searching for answers to them.  i also feel that i should continually strive to learn more about my interests and passions, so i can become a better person and help others.

but there’s a point where we step over a line and become the gods of our own little world and it ruins the beauty of what life’s all about.

it’s really all so complicatedly simple.  and instead of withering away my time over-analyzing parts of my life that i honestly know i have no control over, i should embrace what comes, good or bad, and give simple thanks God has given me His breath of life to spend time on this earth.  and move on.  i know, i know, that’s hard (sometimes seemingly impossible or worthless) when life’s hard.  but its a conscious choice—and if we want the most out of this lifetime, we will choose joy in the midst of even the most trying times. 

people will see and feel your spirit and they will be blessed by it. 

give. love. forgive. play. hurt. seek God’s will. understand. enjoy the passage of time…

we only have a little.



7 comments:

  1. I really think you might be onto something here. When you finally break it down, life is pretty simple. We just make it more complicated. Please remind me of this in a few months - Will you??


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  2. Three things:
    First, James Taylor is one of my all time favorite singers (I've seen him in concert and have bought his music since I was in high school... which was *cough* just a few years ago.) Love that song... although I don't necessarily agree with the philosophy behind it. :)
    Second, remember that if a sheep stays close to the Shepherd, it will always be on the right path. The sheep's job isn't to figure out where the Shepherd wants him... all he has to do is stay close and follow.
    Third, if you haven't read Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren yet, you oughta :)
    and finally...
    You put your left foot in
    You put your left foot out
    You put your right foot in
    and you shake it all about
    you do the hokey-pokey
    and turn yourself around
    that's what its all about
    :) good post, Josey


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  3. hi there intrepid :) always glad when you stop in. and sometime in may, i'll harass you and remind you how simple life is ;) teehee. have a great nite!

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  4. friendinme--i can always count on you to provide boundless wisdom in your comments! ;) okay, that sounded sarcastic but i really mean it :D i completely agree with your sheep staying close to the Shepherd analogy...and for me, that's something i've forgotten. i'm just starting to move my faith back in the right direction, so please forgive me if my "truths" seem a bit immature! i know i've gotta long way to go and i appreciate your points of view.
    JT is also one of my fave musicians of all time! folk music is in my blood and i just adore his talent. i dont agree with HIS philosophy behind the song, either...hehe...but i enjoy twisting and turning songs into meaning what i want them to mean. LOL. i love music!
    i have NOT read the book by rick warren, but i think my husband has. i'm need some reading material, so RIGHT NOW i'm going to reserve it at the library! i've heard wonderful things about it.
    and OHMYGOSH the hokeypokey...now i'm reliving my 4th grade year at the skating rink...;) heheh!! (i never was very good...)

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  5. Okay.... I'll be expecting the reminder! (Smile) Stay warm -(you and the critters) looks like some more cold weather coming your way.


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  6. Well, it has been awhile since I stopped by...when i do, i always find myself in tune with much of what you're feeling. I love James Taylor and his music.
    I just turned 65! Wow...i can hardly believe it! Simplicity. Oh how i long to stroll in the woods with my Pieper; which I do on a daily basis. Being present on the trial is easy. The trouble is I can't stop reading and watching television. The plight of the world always seems to find me! What can I possibly do? I just want to stay in the woods and smell the clear, clean air and listen to the forest speak.
    Josey, I've been struggling with the 'who am I' of me for most of my life. How can I balance being present with the looking glass focused on the plight of our planet? That's the question I keep struggling with.
    The simple answer for me...just be me taking the little sustainable steps in my life that make a difference. Become that shining beacon we are meant to be. Lighting the way is the best we can do.
    Thanks for your inspiration!


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  7. hello gail!! how great to have you stop over :):) congrats on your 65th...wonderful! tho we've never met, i can tell you have 65 years of spunk built up in you. hehe. i always love what you have to say!
    isnt it strange how the "plight of the world" somehow sucks us in? in some ways, spiritually, i feel a responsibility to that plight. and then somedays, i just want to stick my head in the sand and save myself somehow. since i wrote this post, im already beginning to understand, for me personally, that it's not all about me. its about what God put me here for. so now...i just have to listen and find out what that is...
    ah but yeah, i'd prefer to listen in the quiet of the deep woods instead of a few stolen moments at my desk i choose to give between this appointment and that phone call to feed that part of my soul. you're right--a shining beacon we must become!!

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