Whenever I meet a man, I ask him one simple question: “What is the meaning of life?” Do I expect him to come up with the answers to all of life’s mysteries that I’ve always wondered about? No, no I don’t. What I do expect is to gain insight into his character. It’s a simple question. And believe it or not it’s answer is just as simple. That’s the splendor of it all. There are an infinite number of answers to this single question.
Answering this question for yourself, is how you find your Zen.
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The Awakening
During our lifetimes we will undergo a countless number of awakenings. Some will be spiritual, some will be physical, and others metaphysical. My first awakening occurred at the age of 25. At the time I was a Fisheries Biologist for the state of Florida. I was in my last two weeks of employment. Driving through Highlands county on the way to Lake June In Winter, listening to Linger, by the Cranberries. I really can’t explain what happened. For the first time in my life the sun burned brighter, the clouds were more vibrant, every bee, every spider, every living thing seemed to touch my consciousness. By the time I arrived at Lake June In Winter I was overwhelmed with feelings of hope and everything seemed more beautiful, more meaningful. It changed my life forever. In that moment, I understood the meaning of life as it was meant to be experienced by me.
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“Life is a hell of a thing to happen to a person.”
Regardless of the wisdom we obtain over the course of our lives, things change. We enter ruts of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and sometimes even chronic depression. On one of my favorite television shows, Criminal Minds, character David Rossi said, “Life is a hell of a thing to happen to a person.” This couldn’t be more true. The key to surviving life is not just understanding this, but embracing it. Use down times to charge your battery and get some much needed rest, for there will more triumphs in the future. That’s where finding your center comes in.
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“The sorting hat says…”
We are all different and have different needs. One of the first things you can do to get on the path of self discovery is to know your personality type. See Harry Potter and the Myers-Briggs personality test. Introverts need a lot more “me-time” while extroverts require more stimulation from others. There is no right or wrong or better or worse, there is only what you need. Are you left brained or right brained? Left brained individuals or more logical and analytical thinkers while right brained people are more artistic and creative. Answering these questions will help you understand whether your career is feeding your soul?
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“Smells like teen spirit”
This might be news to some of you, but it turns out that how we make our money has a lot to do with our overall happiness. If you find yourself doing back-flips out the office door on Friday afternoon, your job may not be doing the trick. If you find yourself feeling guilty about getting paid for what you do because you love it so much, you are feeding your soul. My particular thoughts on our society and how we live is not relevant to this discussion. I will say that its important to do a no-b.s. assessment of your career options, your expenses, and how you make them jive. It will be one of the hardest things you ever have to do, but perhaps downsizing or living cooperatively might better suit you. Find your Zen! Live the life you have always dreamed of. Ask yourself how you can get there…then make it happen. To begin..you must strip down and get to know yourself…and its worth it!!!
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