Category: Contemplation

F a l l

A friend told me that her favorite season was fall. I intuitively understand why winter sports fans would opt for their season. Likewise, the horticulturally inclined will prefer spring. And then, the majority would opt for summer, given the longer days and warmer weather that facilitates outdoor parties/picnics, BBQ get-togethers, sports, outdoor recreation, etc. So, the fall response was un-usual.

But as we started walking daily this summer, typically for an hour, the walks in early fall have been serene and colorful. The air is much brisker, and reinvigorates the body. There’s also a stillness in the air, as the summer noise has dissipated.

The falling leaves that clutter our backyard lawn does send a powerful reminder of the changing over. The need to periodically rake these leaves is off-set by the lengthening frequency required to mow the lawns. Various preparation activities are needed, so that ‘things’ are prepared to weather the winter, be it fertilizing the lawn, prepping fruit trees from diseases, etc.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

As I glance at the above verses, some call to me more than others. Definitely, as we near the end of the calendar year, there is a reflection of what must be put to death (“time to die”). The Covid-19 pandemic wrote quite a list for us given the restrictions and shut downs that have resulted. The vast majority on the list are actually beneficial as they were a short term gratification of senses. Thus, we have no regrets that we were unable to use our unlimited movie pass. For those activities that fall on the other side of the ledger, like the inability to socialize or hug others, there are creative alternatives that force us to be more expressive when we have the opportunity. It doesn’t totally make up, but as they say, the wait intensifies the hunger and greater will be the satisfaction.

But the interesting equation of that phrase is a “time to be born.” What should be born as we enter into a season of preparation, a season when most of nature and the animal kingdom slow down? How should we think about this? The breadth of possibilities is endless, and perhaps a guiding light might be, how would one’s joy or peace (or whatever quality is your priority) be enhanced in the new year through the birth of something new.

In that regard, for us personally, it has to be our closest circle of relationships. For after all, who will visit us when we are in need? Who will share a shoulder when we are in need? And thus, shedding any hurts or grudges (“time to die”) is a necessary step to renewing any strained relationships. And if fortune is such that all relationships are healthy, why not figure out how to draw the circle closer in, through more authentic sharing of persons, dreams and values?

Part of the new birth this year has been sharing our values and spiritual beliefs. It would be truly sad if at the end of our lives, friends who thought they knew us well, expressed that they never witnessed those aspects of our persons.

Do I have a favorite season? I would like to say ‘No’, as I want to relish the uniqueness of each season. Though I’ll admit that I tolerate the heat much better than the cold. But as they say, it’s “all in the mind.” 😊

On the fun side, we bought new waterproof boots and snow shoes, as we are looking forward to traipsing through the winter land trails. Nature beckons, and fall and winter are truly lovely seasons.

What will make this Fall be a better one for you?

The Great Un-covering

When we Americans look back on 2020, a defining moment will be the Covid-19 Pandemic. An equally defining moment will be the Nov 3 elections for the Presidency and Senate. In this piece, I will share some thoughts on the Pandemic.

Let me upfront acknowledge the immensity of lives lost, the inconsolable grief left behind and the shadows of uncertain futures ahead for families who have lost a breadwinner, a pillar of their hopes. These shattered lives will have meaning when we painfully self-examine the failures and establish readiness systems and measures to contain and best such pandemics.

The Pandemic is an event that I will label the Great Un-Covering.

Firstly, it un-covered our inner selves to ourselves. To what extent is my life dependent on externals, be it retail therapy, entertainment, travel, socialization, etc? To what extent can I not just only survive, but thrive, as I patiently wait in isolation? What does it imply if I cannot manage self-isolation? To what extent has this Pandemic revealed what gives me most meaning in life? How can my post-Pandemic life be qualitatively better? Such questions, by growing deep roots, gives us the contemplative nourishment needed for a towering life. But if such questions are batted away, perhaps, it has un-covered that our outer self is all we have to fritter away to the end.

The Pandemic un-covered many around us, in society, in friendship circles, in various leadership roles, etc. Like the poles of a magnet, it either attracts or repels us. And both situations are telling. This public un-covering is akin to the adage, “I cannot un-see what I have seen.” While there’s anguish at what one perceived, the un-covering is a blessing. One’s eyes have been truly opened, and all have been un-masked (pun intended).

The Pandemic un-covered that while we have technologies and conveniences that far surpass olden days, our base human nature has not evolved as much. It’s very much a survival of the fittest, the fastest man to the life rafts. In the early panic days, wealth fled on private yachts, some fled to luxurious enclaves in remote islands, etc. Those who could not afford to stop working, were exposed to high risk situations, ala meat processing workers. It would seem that as a human race civilization, we should move to a maturity (evolution?) classification that’s no longer based on GDP per capita, but on “well being” per capita. It has been said that one can tell a society by how it treats its poor, marginalized, defenseless.

The Pandemic un-covered across America, that we Americans, have ‘significant’ values that are the anti-thesis of each other. It is no longer a difference of ideologies and policies. Right now, it’s a battle of which side comes up on top via the election process. In the golden age of Greek philosophers, this would have been debated and deliberated. If the latter approach had been adopted, one can foresee a sieving of values, until the final core value choices are placed, side by side. Thus, freedom of expression, rights to worship, etc. are all sieved away until two core choices remain. Love of Self vs Love of Neighbor. As Scripture puts it, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” By the way, that same Scripture covers self-love.

And thus, my pondering comes to a conclusion. Every cloud has a silver lining. What’s the silver lining for you in this Great Un-covering?

86,400

Do you recognize this number? It’s the result of multiplying three numbers that everyone, since their childhood days, are familiar with.

60 seconds x 60 minutes x 24 hours = 86,400 seconds. This number represents the day we wake up to, expecting a full day’s worth of wakeful activity plus the sleep time when we close our eyes that night.

Time is short. Let’s do a simple pen and paper exercise. If you like, you can consult your calendar, your journal, your social media postings, etc. Pick any recent past month. Write down your key moments and experiences during that month. After completing this, scan your list and writings. Highlight those moments and experiences that ‘strike/impact’ you. The realization slowly dawns on one, that key moments and experiences don’t occur in bunches. That sometimes, we fall prey to ‘sleep walking’ without full awareness. Now, we generally live our lives as though we had decades in front of us. A decade is only 120 months. And given our pen and paper exercise, doesn’t it now feel like we don’t have unlimited runway to live out our dreams, our passions, our aspirations?

Time is passing. Time is fleeting. That means it passes very quickly, and it doesn’t register. It’s like sand in an hourglass, the seconds drip non-stop, passing through our fingers. We fool ourselves. We use a motorized lawn mower thinking it ‘saves’ us time. We hire gardeners thinking it ‘buys’ us time. We multiplex and juggle several things, thinking we can ‘make up’ time. All these are illusions, time continues to pass. The paradox of aging is that when we were young, time seemed to drag. The days were so long. When we get older, the closer we get to the end, the faster it seems to come.

Remaining time is unknown. There are many who did not wake up this morning. There are many who will not go to sleep tonight. Nothing is certain. When we reminisce too much about the Past, we live there. When we plan and project too much about the Future, we live there. Breathe and live in the Present.

Time cannot be recovered. We lose things, and can regain (repurchase, rebuild, etc.) them. Time passed can never be regained. No one can turn the clock back.

We intellectually understand all the above. But whether this understanding wakens us up to live consciously is the first question. Let me plant the following imagery in our minds to raise our awareness:

Picture an hourglass as vividly as you can. In the morning, as one wakes up, there’s a huge heap of sand at the top, representing your waking hours for the day. Then, at various points in the day, picture the same hourglass but with proportionate sand left depending on time of day. Thus, mid day, perhaps there’s only 60% left. By late afternoon, there’s only 30% left. As you turn in for the night, there’s enough sand left for your usual bedtime cycle (e.g. reading, time to drop off to sleep).

The second question is how do we live the day, so that at the end of it, we can say, ‘Today was worth the living I put in and got out’? What will work for an individual depends on one’s personality, one’s desire and one’s current circumstances. Consider the following as provoking your own ideas and plans.

Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” outlined Habit 3, “Put First Things First”. Determine the big rocks and put them in the beaker first. Then, the small pebbles. Then the sand. Finally, the water. This approach packs the beaker the fullest with the set of materials. Change the sequence, and you get a less optimal packing. Determining the big rocks is best applied over a long time frame (be it for the year, months or weeks). Then, it breaks down to the various days. Say, I want to repair a relationship with someone close in 3-6 months time. I may then figure out a progressive set of out-reaches, and then plan that over the days to come. There will be obvious open slots as this effort is fluid and dynamic.

As retirees, on non-vacation days, it’s a mix of both planned and spontaneous activities. Our passions include hiking, exploring, reading. Spiritually, there’s praying, scripture and contemplation. Nurturing relationships and staying connected. Indulging in some entertainment.

Writing this surfaced something for us. Perhaps at the end of the day, we should have an explicit dialog with each other. Perhaps lead off with the question – What should we be grateful for today? Cultivating such an attitude cannot but lead to a better tomorrow.

Reading is a many splendored thing

I reached my July 2016 goal of reading 100 books in Oct 2019. It took me 40 months, instead of the 60 months I had initially set aside. Before my Ego gets too big for its britches (that’s another story about how I am trying to diminish this self-destructive persona), the following quote is very apt.

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.” ~ Mortimer J. Adler

Which books have I read where I can honestly testify that certain aspects ‘got through’ to me?

Ted Chiang’s two science fiction books, ‘Stories of your life’ and ‘Exhalation’ had short stories that definitely got to me. Example, in latter, Ted was able to create a story about a device, that one can press to predict one’s response in a certain situation. And the entire story was predicated whether man actually possessed ‘free will’ in the light of this invention.

Even fictional stories, such as the ‘Price of Time’ by Tim Tigner, on the discovery of a formula that stops the aging process, can be a self discovery journey. Where do you weigh in on the argument that Earth’s resources cannot sustain a non-aging population for the masses? Should the formula be then restricted to all those who can pay? If one was part of this select group, what will one do with one’s life? Finally, seeing the likely outcome, is this fountain of youth quest still a noble one?

But it’s the spiritual books and the Bible that have had the most impact on me. Where I dwell on the life enriching messages which encourages and motivates me to make transformative changes.

Perhaps the genres that will work its magic on you could be health, nutrition, relationships or even copying with life and death. Perhaps you aren’t sure. The only way to find out – happy reading!

Let me end with this thought. Reading widely, reading extensively, reading with an open mind results in many splendored things – imagination, passion, hope, zest for life, re-birth and all things good.

Postscript – I have an xls where I record the books read, my rating and a one-two sentence about the book. If I wish to re-read the book at some future point, I give it 6 out of a 5 point rating scale.

Being in someone’s shoes

April 17, 2019.

Following occurred to me during our Camino Frances. I decided the category for this post will be different as I want to touch on this topic in somewhat depth.

Most of us who drive have a destination in mind when we are driving. Getting to said destination is the objective. If we own vehicles, we may opt for a more premium vehicle, so that it is a more comfortable drive with various auto-cruise and safety features, so that we arrive safely and in a relaxed state. If we are driving on country roads, we will likely pay attention to the road conditions a bit more.

As a Camino pilgrim, there were a handful of occasions when we had to walk many km along country roads. If you have experienced this, you know how different the slip stream and noise is from vehicles traveling past at 30 mph to 50 mph. There’s a reason why speed limits in American school zones are 20 mph.

I had seen a vehicle which I estimated was probably traveling at about 40-45 mph along this country road. It did not even brake nor slow down when passing fellow pilgrims walking ahead of us.

That driver was so cocooned in his/her vehicle that he/she was totally de-sensitized to the effects being felt by walking pedestrians by the speed of their vehicle.

Are we sometimes cocooned in our jobs, in our positional status, in our wealth class, in our educational superiority, etc that we don’t really sense how others around us are being affected? Or even care?

If we ourselves have been subject to this ‘slip stream/noise’ by those ‘above’ us in life, does that increase our empathy for others?

Life can be all about me. Or it can mean much more.

More on Reading

Imagine a society that did not have a printing press. Everyone will be dependent on oral communications or very costly and limited hand written/copied books. We are fortunate because of Johannes Gutenberg. But to what extent, are we taking advantage of this inflexion point in mankind’s ability to share and disseminate information and knowledge?

There are several titles that I had the good fortune to read in 2018. One was recommended by a FB friend who I met in the last three months, namely, The Righteous Mind – Why good people are divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt. In a nutshell, Jonathan outlines a contemporary framework, the Moral Foundation Theory that articulates how various people perceive, evaluate and decide situations and events, based on interal moral convictions. He further shows through research how liberals and conservatives (on opposite ends of the political spectrum) rely on different sets of moral pillars/standards. A free online self test guides one’s own self discovery.

The next title is White Fragility by Dr. Robin Diangelo, published in 2018. This is a very complex issue in recent times. Why would you want to read this book? It’s fitting to then quote the author herself, why she embarked on her own career, why she wrote this. “Interrupting racism takes courage and intentionality; the interruption is by definition not passive or complacent…. It is a messy, lifelong process, but one that is necessary to align my professed values with my real actions. It is also deeply compelling and transformative.”

The other reading category that I have stepped up is spiritual titles. Others may prefer self improvement books. Both inspire, not just inform or educate. Let your books help you live an inspired life!

My reading style has evolved with age. Previously, I will complete a book before I start on another, i.e. a serial reader. But now, I find that I can start three four books concurrently, and complete at different times. Obviously, I will sometimes come across a book that I will read to finish within two three days. Perhaps because I am so used to multiplexing projects during my work career, that this skill has laterally transferred to my reading brain!

So, I have read 30 books since my last update on this topic in Jan 2018. I do have significant travel time this year, so, I may not be able to sustain the pace for 2019. Regardless, I will complete 100 books way before June 2021.

One final thought provoking question to you, my reader. Clearly you enjoy reading. And clearly you have a good circle of friends. How often do you gift books to friends that will just influence their life trajectory? Isn’t that a beautiful idea to contemplate?

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R.R. Martin

After wading into the retirement pool ….

Here’s an edited piece I recently wrote in a FB Closed Group about preparing for retirement.

1. Figure out your purpose in this next stage of life. This is important as a number of Types A’s identity are so intimately identified to job, role and work circles, that they may go adrift come retirement.

2. Strengthening bonds with family and loved ones should become a priority in retirement. They are the ones who will shed tears at your funeral. They are the ones who will cherish memories of you. Many of your friends will not feel that deeply. Know the few friends who will, and treat them like family.

3. It’s easy to fill up our calendars with cherished or long wished-for pursuits or activities (e.g. travel, reading, golfing, etc). What is more difficult is determining the circle of friends that you want to strengthen the bonds with. Many in the work circles may not wish to continue the connections (and this could be mutual). So, finding friends that one can retire gracefully with, is an often over-looked task. This gets complicated if one downsizes or relocates to a totally different locale. But the beauty of that different locale is the beginning of a new adventure, finding new circles of friends that align, complement or broaden one’s outlook on life.

4. Consider volunteering, and giving back. Focusing one’s energy on continuing to make money part time, on the side, diminishes one’s heart. A very poor legacy for children and grandchildren.

We have but one life.

 

Kicking Off A New Year, 2019

No, I am not going to talk about New Year resolutions. Not that they aren’t a good thing. Even though most do not check off 100% of their fine intentions come December 31, it’s an exercise that does help at some level. Kudos to those who preserve at this.

Rather, it’s reflecting how the arc of one’s life journey has been so far, and the progress towards one’s North Star(s). I will share two of such Stars.

Before getting to that, here’s my mechanism. I have created an xls that has tabs for each year. And in each tab, I outlined the core goals in my life, most of which are aligned to my North Stars. Some goals do reflect my human reality, e.g. centering on physical health. My goals stay fairly consistent year to year. What changes are the targets or milestones for that year.

If you journal a diary, then, consider scanning your writings/entries, and pulling out the key moments and experiences that you wish to build on for the New Year. You can always synthesize the micro into the macro, as there was an inner compass within you when you pulled out those key moments/experiences.

My first Star is my spiritual faith and discipleship. In 2018, I learnt that 100% Belief does not necessarily translate to 100% Trust, both being different sides of the Faith coin. And Trust is not just accepting that events occurred as God Willed or Allowed.

100% Trust means “I am ready to do whatever God asks of me.” 100% Trust means believing and sensing that God is always with me. 100% Trust means believing and accepting that God works all things together for my good.

Thus, in 2019, I will be working on that 100% Trust. It means looking at every moment, every event, every trigger, as an opportunity to discern what God asks of me, and to do it, with the conviction He is always with me and together, He and I can handle anything. A simple daily ‘get out of bed’ prayer is, “Lord, nothing will happen to me today that You and I together, cannot handle.”

My second Star centers on our adult children. It’s natural to de-emphasize parenting when adult children have left the nest and are living on their own. But we have experience, distance and  wisdom born from scars that actually place us in positions to discern and provide that parental guidance, even to our adult children. As we evaluated each child’s life stage and circumstances, we could easily identify that one aspect that we as parents could assist our child in their journey in 2019. What a privilege to be able to continue this journey with our children.

There’s much to look forward to in 2019. We have a Holy Land and second Camino pilgrimage planned. We are going to re-connect with family far away. We are enjoying the new friendships. A toast to all our readers, that we live and love more deeply in 2019.

the future

Which Historical Figure Would I Want to Spend a Day With?

The key proviso is that it must be in the historical figure’s context and time. Said figure is not transported to our modern day. Thus, if I were an anthropologist, I definitely would want to observe Lucy in her natural state (as conversation would be almost impossible)!  😊

This was a much easier task for me to contemplate, probably in large measure due to the history lessons in school. The significant milestones in humankind’s arc offers many candidates. It’s likely that one’s passion, one’s interests will help narrow a short list from many many possibilities. Thus, if one were interested in military warfare and strategy, given how the world wars have changed the face of nations, one could zero in on  the pivotal figures that had an out-sized impact on the outcome.

My list includes the following:

  1. Thomas Edison
  2. Leonardo Da Vinci
  3. Nostradamus
  4. George Washington
  5. Martin Luther King Jr
  6. Jesus Christ

How would I approach the dialog and engagement with these figures? What would be the central points and topics that I would seek to engage in?

Edison is well known as an inventor extraordinaire, holding 1093 US Patents! It would be amazing to understand how he gets his creative ideas, the ability to imagine and create new technologies. And when/how does he realize an idea is (or is not) a dead end, given the reported 1000 attempts at an electric incandescent light bulb? His attitude is best illustrated by his response to a reporter’s question on ‘How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?’ Edison replied, I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.’ At the end of this conversation, would we be nearer to answering this, ‘Is creative genius a genetic happenstance or can it be nurtured?’

Da Vinci is often regarded as the Renaissance Man. He’s adept at the arts, having painted the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, The Vitruvian Man and many others. At the same time, he had documented many scientific concepts, such as the Parachute and Helical Air Screw (http://www.da-vinci-inventions.com/). It’s amazing that Da Vinci was equally adept at both the creative/artistic and scientific domains. In researching his background, Da Vinci was un-schooled, learning from observation and apprenticeship. An interesting conversation is to pose the question that if he knew his time was limited, how would he spend it? Where would he channel his last energies?

Nostradamus appears on my list because I have a fascination with the future. Does Nostradamus’ quatrains really pertain to the future, or was it simply the extrapolations of others? If the former, were they divinely inspired? What other quatrains about the future have yet to un-fold?

Unlike my other complementary post on modern contemporary figures that excluded any political leaders, Washington makes my historical list for the simple fact that he’s a Statesman and exemplified the true qualities of consistently putting the interests and well being of the nation, the people above his own. As I contemplate the modern political leaders, some may have had noble intentions and objectives when they pursued and assumed office. But ultimately, power has a corroding effect. Holding public office is truly like wearing the One Ring in the Lord of the Rings. In the story, only Frodo was able to wear/use the One Ring without fully succumbing to it. How apt is this as an analogy of the risks of holding public office, and the rare individual that can successfully do so, for the benefit of the nation.

Washington, was the first President of the US, from 1789 to 1797, and is known as the ‘father of the country’. How did he demonstrate that he did not succumb to the corroding effects of power? After his final victory over the British in 1783, Washington was encouraged by others to seize power. In effect, he was offered the role of emperor of US, the counterpart of King George II of England! Washington resigned as commander-in-chief rather than seize power. As historian Gordon S Wood concludes, ‘The greatest act of his life, the one that gave him his greatest fame, was his resignation as commander in chief of the American forces.’

While I would love to converse with Washington over the current modern day interpretations of the various Amendments to the Constitution, it would be un-fair as he lacks the context of how societal values has evolved. Perhaps what might be most invaluable in our day together would be learning his approach to uniting a very modern and diverse nation. Guiding and reprimanding a partisan Congress. Striking the right balance between many opposing viewpoints and needs. I am sure he faced a similar set of issues, perhaps of a different scale and nature. His integrity and prioritizing the needs of the nation allowed him to lead and influence. Every nation today needs leaders like Washington.

As someone who grew up outside USA, I was not intimately aware of the civil rights struggles in a society that was bifurcated and racially segmented. But that same distance, lends an objectivity that allows me to unequivocally believe that MLK Jr enabled America to regain its’ own soul back. Much has been achieved for Black Americans, but much remains. Perhaps we are expecting to achieve too much within a generation, but when there’s still so much injustice, can we afford the luxury of time when lives are being destroyed, when generations will suffer? How will the conversation unfold? I would want MLK Jr to quickly understand what has been achieved, what remains un-fulfilled and the current state of racial relationships. To understand the current issues and insidious challenges faced by Black Americans (and other minorities). We will then discuss and identify actions and programs that will address the root causes. We have too many superficial attempts at addressing symptoms, while the disease stubbornly worms deeper inside. This would be a priceless day.

My final candidate is Jesus, and as a practicing Catholic, that’s the person that I would want to spend a day with. If you have a different faith and religion, I am sure that your candidate will be your religion’s founder. As a Catholic, I truly believe Jesus is the Son of God. I would really want to ‘know’ Jesus. Our conversation will be like a spiral. On the outer spiral rings, I would start with life after, what is the soul/spirit and what does it mean to be in heaven with God? The inner spiral rings will then focus on Jesus’ teachings and really juxtaposing these against my life to date. Where have I fallen short? Seeking forgiveness and peace. The spiral ends at the core, what is the purpose of my life?

Though, if Jesus responds the purpose of my life is for me to un-cover, that would NOT be un-expected! After all, God gave us the freedom to choose. And this conversation would be my truest ‘journey within’.

Peace be with you.

B

The Bucket List

Joon shared Wednesday this week that she’s currently reading ‘The Immortalist’ (copy bought the day before). The synopsis is ‘If you were told the date of your death, how would it shape your present?’  How co-incidental as I had been drafting this piece for several days. We usually tease each other that we have ESP, and can influence the other person. I think married partners like to think that through ‘nightly osmosis on the bed’, a  partner gets that sub-conscious power over the other. Sounds like a possible Black Mirror episode!  😊

From dictionary.com, a bucket list is defined as “a list of things a person wants to achieve or experience, as before reaching a certain age or dying”. It reached broad awareness when Hollywood released the 2007 movie, ‘The Bucket List’, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, a story about two terminally ill men on a road trip with their list of to-dos before their time is up.

This notion of a bucket list seems to be an American cultural phenomenon. People in other parts of the world, don’t think or write down a definite list of things to do, experience or achieve before they are ready to depart planet Earth. That doesn’t mean these people do not have wish lists, just not a definite bucket list that once scratched off, they are ready to kick the bucket. Rather, their lists continue to be made periodically, updated, revised. Perhaps it’s also in their heads, not on paper or on smartphones to be whipped out to be shared.

I do see the benefits in making a bucket list. It channels and gives voice to one’s hopes, dreams, aspirations, ‘holes to-be-filled’. Boiling it all down to, how do I want to live and experience life in the (unknown) time span I have left. The most blunt and direct phrase that I came across about mortality is this – ‘Every day, we are walking nearer and nearer towards our own grave/tombstone’. A hopeful and positive take for Christians, is this – At the end of each day, you can tell yourself, ‘I am one step closer to heaven.’

So, how does one start a bucket list?

  1. A pencil + eraser + blank paper (or a PC/tablet + word/note pad software).
  2. A quiet setting, infused with whatever helps an individual (sunshine, background music, scents, birds singing, etc.)
  3. Brainstorming a list of Categories. Mine are Relationships, Legacies, Travel, Experiences, Celebrations, Charity, Spiritual.
  4. Finalizing list of Categories and fleshing out specifics under each Category.
  5. Dialog with one’s life partner.
  6. After some time, loop back to steps 2 – 6, and update/revise.

I feel good about the above approach.

But just as different people have different favorite meals, here are some other approaches that may work in place of steps #3 and #4.

  • Ask yourself, if you had truly un-corked a Genie who will grant you 3 wishes, what would that be? Push hard as if it’s only 3 wishes. Before the Genie smiles, and say, you have another 3 more final wishes.
  • Imagine the end of a perfect day, when you felt the happiest you ever have felt. Your happiness overflows from deep within. You can’t help yourself, you sing, you skip, you dance. Feel the emotions. How did that perfect day unfold? Rinse and repeat.
  • Imagine you have a giant blank scrapbook in front of you. You will be creating and describing your happiest moments, that you want to leave behind and share with future generations. You have all the tools and creative dexterity needed. How would these pages be filled?
  • Let your own creative genius guide you. You know yourself.

I will read The Immortalists in due course and aim to change/fine tune my list. My Bucket List is too personal to share in this blog. Not unless you offer to make some come true!   😊

And finally – Perhaps, perhaps this exercise of drawing up one’s Bucket List, may result in the following practice. After waking up each morning, we start the day with a deep thankfulness for another day of vibrant life. We spend a minute or two, visualizing the key moments and emotions that we desire to color the day’s blank canvas with. Perhaps a kiss, a hug, a laugh, a reach out, a heart-felt connection, letting the inner child out. Carpe Diem.

B