So what is the point of living? That's not meant as a hopeless question, but more of one that is meant to make you think about what's important to you. I think there is a difference between living and existing. Too many people are simply floating along through life with no purpose. That's not to say that everything you do has to have some deep meaning, still it's good to have a reason to get out of bed every day other than to collect a paycheck. When asked what do you want from life many people will probably answer that they want to be happy. While I don't disagree with that sentiment I don't think it's really happiness people want. I'm happy when I eat tacos or watching a good movie with friends, but I need more than that from life. That thing people confuse for happiness should be called joy or passion. I know both of those terms can come off as cheesy. Think about the things in your life that you're passionate about (and not just the sweaty kind), those things are often what give you the most joy. Everyone needs something that fulfills them otherwise you're just existing rather than living. I think all too often people give up on what gives them joy because it's not always practical. It's not a bad thing to be practical for a time because let's face it, it's a requirement to get through life. Still a life without passion or joy is a life without hope.
I've spent a lot of time wondering what's the meaning of life. Why are we here and more importantly, why are we aware that we are here? Does a shark think about those things? They've been around for millions of years and seem to be doing just fine without pondering the finer points of their existence. For all their evolutionary perfection they haven't moved beyond the need for food and procreation. Then again we as humans have created so many things in our lives that are important only to us as individuals. I know many people who can't figure out if they're living to work or working to live. Widgets will be important to you if you work in a widget factory, but to someone else it's as worrisome as a cloudy day. Ask someone with kids what they cared about before they had children. Maybe that's what life is about, finding what's important to you. Still I often wonder about the things that are important and why they take priority in our lives.
Like many people I know what I like. I've spent years knowing what flavors or movies or even colors I like. The thing is that I don't remember exactly when I knew this. It feels like it's always been that way. There had to be a time when I hadn't tried sushi or Frank Sinatra's music was unknown to me. I just don't remember what my life was like before I figured out that I enjoyed them. My favorite place to eat in Arizona has a pretty strange mix of food. It's Chinese, Mexican, and Jamaican. You're able to come up with all kinds of combinations of food. The first time I ever ate there I was overwhelmed by the choices so I just ordered what my friend was getting. Turns out the meal was fantastic and for the last twelve years I've been going there I've ordered the exact same thing every time. Now I know there are so many other things I could be eating, but I found what I like and for a long time I thought if I made the effort to go there I should stick with what I enjoy because it's familiar. It's good to know what things in life you're fond of, but at the same time doing so can lead you to limit yourself to only what you know. This year I have decided to free myself from my past, at least in the fact that I'm not going to limit myself only to what I know I like. I know that I'll enjoy the 7 & 9 Combo, but ordering that when I know I'll like it means that I could potentially be losing out on an opportunity to try something new. Maybe my new favorite thing has been sitting next to that familiar stand-by all this time and I never bothered to try and find it.
For a long time I was really good at talking myself out of living. When I was here I wanted to be there. When I was there I wanted to be somewhere else. Then after it was all done I would regret not having made the most of the situation. I can recall whole years that were filled with times like that. You can't dwell on the road not taken because you are where you're supposed to be right now, even if you don't like it. However, if you find yourself tired of winding up in the same old destination maybe it's time to start trying something else. This often means wandering outside the comfort zone and that's a scary thing for many people, especially since often times there is a reason why something is comfortable. It's relatively safe. Going outside of that could mean some pain, physical, emotional, or otherwise. That doesn't mean completely throwing caution to the wind. There has to be a balance. For me I'm trying to say "yes" more often and if I do say "no" I try to at least know why rather than have it be my default answer to a situation. At least now I know if I like or dislike something because I actually experienced it rather than relying on the belief that I probably wouldn't have liked in in the first place. Life is all about experiences and with that comes the need to try things that are new, even if it's something as trivial as ordering the fish instead of the chicken.
