As I sat, contemplating on life, on an empty bench situated near the lobby outside of the hotel I have been residing in for the past few weeks in El Paso, TX, the following thought came to mind.
“Josiah, what’s your baseline as it relates to spirituality, happiness, finance, intimacy, work, friends, and etc?”
Spirituality—The guiding light of my being centers on living in harmony with fellow human beings and preserving my environment. I trust in science and support scientific research and education.
Happiness—I require little to lead a contented existence. My idyllic life is one that is serene and tranquil—with open space to plant, lots of sunlight, natural flowing springs, and birds’ sounds.
Finance—My primary income source nets me a modest $115k annually and that amount is the minimum dollar amount I need (prefer) to live comfortably. And by “comfortably,” I mean, enough to take care of my household needs and save/invest at least 40%. Admittedly, my goal is for my main income source to net me somewhere in the neighborhood of 9-11 digits.
Intimacy—My true north, relating to intimacy, is emphatic (intimate) listening. I tend to thrive in settings where listening is practiced and celebrated. In my experience, the impact of emphatic listening gives life to intimacy in its varied and beautiful forms. It has also been my experience that intimate listening awakens one’s sexual essence and energy in ways no other force can.
Work—I value hard work. I find hard work to be a worthy pursuit as it increases success’ probability. I also love creative work. I believe a purposeful life is one that is linked to creative and intelligent work.
Friends—Perhaps it is my cynical nature, but I hold the idea that the fewer friends I have, the merrier my life is. Forty-three years of being vertical and ventillating has proven as much.
In sum, I would say, seeking to understand (i.e., moving from being to becoming), living with an other-centered mindset, and having access to options while indulging in a few is the key to a meaningful existence.
What’s your baseline?
Since you’re here…
…It would mean the world to me if you grabbed a copy of my new release: Choose Love Not Hate: Why Compassion Is Essential For Building A Harmonious Society. You can do so here. Please remember to rate and leave a review. Thank you.
I love this question, “What is your baseline?” And I love the different aspects of your life you use to assess it. Thanks for this thoughtful post.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Shelly! I believe if more people took the time to recognize, evaluate, and accept their intrinsic value, inestimable worth, and potential…they would lead happier lives. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely! I had an insight like this about six years ago, and it changed my life. I realized that I had spent most of my life trying to earn my worth or prove that I was worthy by being good enough or smart enough or beautiful enough and so many other “enoughs”.
And then one day I realized that my natural state was love. Love is what is most me and most all of us. Love is what is most real in the world. So when we rest and accept the love that is already in us, it connects us with our true selves, with each other and with what is most real in the Universe. This was amazing to me
Somehow realizing this helped set me on the path to healing a lot of anxiety and self-loathing problems I had struggled with for years.
Here is a post I wrote about that process. Thank you for providing a platform to talk about Love and its transformative power, Josiah. It is so important.
https://shellypruittjohnson.wordpress.com/2017/09/07/step-one-seven-steps-to-love-letting-go-of-self-hate/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Shelly, here are some of the words that came to mind after reading your heartfelt response: Awakening, forgiveness, acceptance, freedom, life-giving, abundance.
Every so often, I imagine a world where the highest valued currency is LOVE…
I look forward to reading your post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is so kind, Josiah!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great post, Josiah. If everyone had the same baseline as you, we’d be living in paradise. My baseline is my family: serving them, providing for The Boss, The Boy, and The Girl, and doing my best to teach (and show) my kids how to be kind, compassionate, respectful, and responsible individuals.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Denny. Thank you for sharing your baseline and adding value to the conversation. As far as “paradise”…hmm…I’m not sure about that one…😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, note I didn’t say ‘heaven’. I was trying to avoid religious/spiritual connotations so used that word in hopes you would interpret it as referring to an island in the tropics rather than the place where martyrs are rewarded with 70 virgins.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I understood. It’s all perspective.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! Ain’t that the truth. Peace.
LikeLiked by 1 person