“The meaning of Life is just to be Alive,” says Alan Watts.
I heard this quote some time ago and dwell on it often –especially when I feel life is not going the way I want it to go.
Can it be that simple? Is our meaning/purpose just to be Alive? Alan encourages us to be fully engaged in the journey, to savor the experience, and find joy in the simple act of being Alive.
However, when I reflect on all the distractions in the world, especially with politics and social media, they seem to have become obsessions lately. Plus, without going into them all, there are lots of other forms of nonsensical distractions cluttering up our days. As T.S. Eliot said, we are “distracted from distraction by distraction,”
So how can we really LIVE if we are continually being bombarded with all this external noise/stimuli? How do we come back to meaningful engagement and contemplation?
For me, when I reflect or take measure of my life, I must ask myself if I am truly LIVING or am I just EXISTING. Remember the movie Groundhog Day? Every morning the main character wakes up in a time-loop, passively going through the same motions—over and over again.
I do not know about you, but I can catch myself doing this sometimes. I am not talking about the positive routines we implement in our lives like exercising and other disciplines we have put in place to better our lives. But if I’m not paying attention, I sometimes I catch myself going through the motions and rationalizing and being creative to explain away my groundhog moments.
Even travel. Kathy & I love to travel but we do like our creature-comforts. For example, for this current two-month trip to Europe we again took our Roku TV devise so we could connect it and watch our favorite shows back home. However, somehow, we forgot a primary part and cannot watch our shows. Oh, poor us! Now we have to use and be more creative with that time. I have to laugh at how easy it is to slip into auto-mode and continue to passively go through the motions of living.
I remember being young and my imagination was wild with new ideas and trying new things. As I’ve aged this has slowed down, many times in a good way as we have developed more discernment and wisdom (hopefully). But then again…I find it too easy to seek the familiar and comfortable.
I heard recently that there are three stages of life in the context of material possessions: 1. wanting stuff, 2. accumulating stuff, and 3. getting rid of stuff. Clearly Kathy & I are at the number three stage when it relates to material possessions.
With that in mind we are finding the SMART thing to do in order to fully LIVE life at this stage, is to try new things/hobbies, reach out and engage with new people, consciously spend less time on social media, volunteer more, and finally, to visit new places on a regular basis.
Remember…People never end their lives thinking about the things they wish they purchased but do think about the things they wished they’d done.
How about you? Do you ever catch yourself in groundhog living or are you living the life you want?
PS: the photo used was from our trip to Portugal 3-years ago and I can say…it was one of those Alive Moments.
Great to see your post Thom.
“distracted from distraction by distraction,”
I need to be reminded of this daily.
“distracted from distraction by distraction,”
Alan Watts, T.S Elliot, and Groundhog Day (Danny Rubin) — the thoughts expressed here wax philosophical, and are positive and appreciative, uplifting and helpful.
I hear your “Stage 3” (downsizing, gettin’ rid of unneeded stuff), and reflect on my own journey for that stage. My epiphany came last summer when my dear wife needed to spend about four months with her father in Palm Springs, tending to him as he completed his life-journey. I had to tend to my personal living and projects in our new home in North Carolina, on my own. I learned just how important she is to me (which I already knew, but confirmed). Although I’ve traveled a lot in life (love Northern and Middle Europe), she and I need to spend more time together now, discovering East Coast stuff, and the founding of our country.
For me, documenting and writing about what I’ve learned is somewhat fulfilling. Even with AI, my writings can merge with the libraries that are referenced, even if it does not specifically give me credit. More importantly, I think, is assembling personal truth which in some way can benefit new generations. In my research, this is not uncommon for people to do as they enter the final stages of existence.
SMART, Thom and Kathy, you are appreciated. Thank you for sharing in this way. For me I found it good and a reminder to not be “Groundhog Day” repetitious, get to those downsizing tasks, and document the many discoveries that each of us uniquely develop on our lifelong trailblazed paths.
Chuck…thanks for the kind words and your reflections. I get that spending 4 months away from your wife could be challenging. Keep up your writing and sharing…as we never know the good we do from planting the seeds of wisdom. Thom
There was much ado about Groundhog Day during the pandemic lockdown. I fnally watched it & came to the conclusion that Phil gained a new lease on life when his attitude changed. As Liesbet commented, be alive in the moment & focus on basic & simple things that bring happiness. If the meaning of life is to be alive then the purpose of life is to keep on keeping on, attuned to the glimmers along the way. Mindfulness lends the exclamation mark to the day-to-day routine punctuated by life’s highlights.
Hi Mona…yes it is all about attitude. Why do we (so much of our lives) seem to forget that, when a challenge shows up. And, I need my mindfulness practice, practice, practice everyday.
Great Wisdom! Thanks Thom!
Hi Deb,
Ah yes…Wisdom. I feel like I am a slow learner much of the time…however, I guess the universe was designed to require experience before we could grasp the benefits of Wisdom. Oh well…finally getting it now that I hit my seventies. Keep up the good work my friend.
Ciao Thom (and Kathy),
I was thrilled to see you take another dive into Europe instead of sticking to your more regular routine of summering in Idyllwild and the beach.
We have to get out and DO while we can. I know that my time at my home in Italy could be cut short at any time at this age. The stairs, the cobblestones, the language barrier. . . all that is a challenge I am wiling to accept at this point in time. WHILE I CAN.
So let’s keep doing and exploring and challenging ourselves. Some day I will have to sit on the end of the sofa and read books like my grandmother did. But that day (happily) has not arrived.
Keep on trucking as we used to say in the 70’s!
Much love,
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl,
As you expressed…a big YES to…”So let’s keep doing and exploring and challenging ourselves”. This is the Way…
Hi Thom and Kathy,
I didn’t know you liked to sail! 🙂
A timely piece, because I am settled at a campground for three weeks without Mark and, guess what? I have created a routine. That’s right! Because I can. I have a comfortable place to do my daily morning exercises, I am restricted to walking Maya either along the beach or the road, I try to get a full day’s work in, and I can take a hot shower every afternoon!
Do I like it? While I think this routine seems to be better for my health (I usually can never do exercises due to bad weather, no space, too dirty or loud around us…), I’m already feeling aversion towards it. So, I certainly am not a person falling back on familiar routines, haha. Since I never have any.
The other thing I wanted to mention is that I think the way to live in the moment and being alive is to focus on basic and simple things that make you happy. And I don’t think those involve a lot of material goods…
Hi Liesbet,
Got to say…you and Mark are the most adventuresome couple I have ever known. Sailing the world in small boats and then following your road travels/living in Central/South America. Thanks for being this example of what’s possible…
Thom and Kathy – you are both consistent inspiration and motivation by setting such a great example of living our best lives! Thank you for the reminder. Love you both so much.
Living my best life here on the sand in Mexico today,
Jamie
Hi Sis…thanks for kind words. Yes to Mexico…and hope you can make it out to visit us in Tucson this fall or Winter.
Hi Thom, it’s nice to hear from you. This is a subject that will resonate with many of Kathy’s readers, as we all question our path from time to time. I have been plagued by ‘groundhog moments’ lately, but that seems to be the norm for us when we are in between trips. We go from the highs of constant engagement, discovery, problem solving, etc. of travel, to the lows of recovering balance upon our return. We are currently looking for a ‘home base’ in which to rebuild our foundation and put down roots. All the elements of our balanced life are still within us, but it is hard to fall back into good patterns when we are so unsettled on the home front. We will get there.
Can’t wait to hear about your two months in Europe. Please share when you can.
HI Suzanne,
I hear you…about looking for a new “home base”. Kathy & I explored a number of locations and ideas before making our leap/change to Tucson. Finding the right community was the deciding factor for us. Regarding a balanced life…traveling does make that more challenging…but having an amazing travel/life partner does make it easier. Looking forward to hearing about where you land…