My Place in Life

I was thinking last night. You know that guy with the new car you're a little envious of? Has he ever been curious about what sand looks like under a microscope? Your neighbor that has the huge house you might be dreaming of living in? Does he recognize the poetry of the Periodic Table of the Elements? That guy that's climbed the ladder to CEO you admire? Is he awed by the elegant structure of the universe? Do they stop to marvel at the drop of rain magnifying a tiny, green insect on a leaf? Do they know to be humbled by the exquisite dance of DNA? Probably not. They don’t stop long enough to be awestruck by the splendor of it all. They spend their entire lives achieving and no time living. How sad for them.

I don't have a brand new car. I don't live in the fanciest house, don't wear the flashiest clothes, or have the most impressive job title. That's not what it's about. It's about kindness, inquisitiveness, and reverence for the recognition of my place in it all. 

The Mindful Biological Machine

Feeling my body at the gym this morning. moving with purpose and all parts working together is incredible. I like to call it my “mindful workout.” With binaural sounds in my headphones, feeling ALL parts; muscle cells, bones, ligaments, brain cells, synapses, nerve fibers, lungs, blood vessels, etc, all working in harmony is incredibly centering and humbling. I am an incredibly wonderful and complex biological machine capable of infinite things.

Living Life Through Different Lenses

I was just in the kitchen cooking myself an omelet (plant-based egg product called “Just Egg,” sauteed asparagus, red onion, microgreens, and smoked gouda cheese with an avocado on the side) and I got to thinking about how we move through our lives. As morbid as this might sound when I focus my life through the lens of mortality, finiteness, and finality I tend to see my life as something that should be filled to the brim as much and as often as possible until it practically overflows.

In that moment I “saw” the rest of my life. It wasn’t filled with “stuff,” job titles, fancy cars, or emotionally vacant McMansions. It was filled with experiences. Things that, possibly over time and an onset of old age and possible senility I will forget. But the memory will still be there inside me. Memories of a life lived fully and presently. Knowing that I have so much life yet to live and experiences yet to live filled me not with anxiety but with excitement at what the next moments are going to bring.

The Connection of Thunderstorms

Sitting in my dining room listening to the channel Spa on Sirius XM eating my dinner. Out the window I can see the sky darkening from the approaching thunderstorm and I can hear the thunder rolling. Birds, trees, grass, butterflies, worms, rabbits, lichens on rocks, and even microbes on the ground; we will all experience the same thunder, the same rain, and the same wind, but in our own, individual way. That may sound crazy but this gives me a deep sense of comfort. It makes me feel connected.

A Tide in the Affairs of Men