“The unexamined life is not worth living.” ~Socrates
My shadow grabbed my attention recently on a walk. I saw hair waving and bouncing in the wind—it looked more like me in my younger days. Who is that? I thought. And When did that happen?
As a result of the pandemic, I have let my hair grow longer. I’ve seen it in the mirror of course, and was consciously making that choice. Despite all of my walks, I hadn’t noticed the change in my shadow before, so it caught me off guard.
Every now and then, it’s a great idea to take stock of who we are, how we live and the trajectory our life is on.
Are we in tune with the person we have become, or do we hold a mental image of ourselves that is no longer accurate one way or the other?
Upon examination, do we like what we find, or does this bring something to our attention that we want to change?
We can slip off track in any area of our lives and stay in a delusional fog for an indefinite period of time. Perhaps it’s difficult admitting to ourselves that we allowed the detour to happen.
Or maybe we've made a choice that’s so new, we're still surprised when we see the fruit of it? If so, that's a perfect moment to express gratitude.
Either way, mindfulness gives us an opportunity to be present with ourselves and acknowledge reality. We can give thanks and embrace what is, and where needed, we can decide to make some changes.
Take a good look at who you are, how you treat people, and how you treat yourself. Do you like your life? Do you like yourself?
Course correction is always possible. Small steps can lead to big change.
What do you want? What do you like? What needs to end? What needs to begin?
If we don’t take a self-inventory occasionally and answer these questions, no one else is going to answer them for us, much less put us on the path toward what we really want.
Growth stagnates in denial, but mindful awareness leads to attention and intention, to gratitude, and possibly, to new choices, if your examination reveals areas you want to modify.
Remember, nothing is lost. No time is wasted. Wherever you go from here, you take every experience you’ve had thus far.
Life shows us what we want and shows us what we don’t want. Both are valuable lessons. Take stock and adjust accordingly.
Here’s to a life evaluated periodically and lived intentionally.
