What Do You Desire? Are you living a life that you enjoy?

[406Columbia]

Hello All,

I was fortunate enough today to listen to a audio clip from Alan Watts and no I'm not into the eastern philosophy stuff. Anyway the piece is often titled what do you desire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCFB4jSgTMw

It touches on something my family and I have been struggling with for the last few years with my work. I travel quite a bit for work and am apart from my wife and children far more than I care for. We don't live an extravagant life, but its stupid to continue doing what we don't like.

My son told me the other day that when he was big, that he would travel for work and be gone from his family too and it hurt me deeply. I had to take a step back and evaluate what we are doing and for what purpose.

My wife and I desire to be together and to help people. I have worked for years in disaster recovery and emergency management and that seems to fit. The intrinsic value I obtain from helping really blesses me. We also like to share our faith with anyone who wants to hear about how awesome Jesus is. I wont go into my experiences with that and being blown up, etc. but what an interesting story of faith I like to share with friends.

All this said, what is your purpose in life? If you were to die today would you be satisfied with how you spent your days? How would you really enjoy spending your life if money were not option?

I post this here because we are refitting our small boat right now for some short cruising. But I am thinking perhaps we need to just rent out the house, take off and be together and make do with less. Focus on the things of true value that really will give us satisfaction in life.

Not being gone months on end, not sending your kids off to daycare Monday through Friday. Investing in things we really love.

I look forward to some comments and I know lots of folks are a bit older than my wife and I here and we are looking to hear your feedback and what you would do differently and why?

[daletournier]

Interesting, never heard of Alan Watts up until recently, that clip has come my way twice in the last two weeks.

I'm very fortunate, I'm doing what I want to do and have been for sometime. If I had more money I'd still be doing this, in fact I probably wouldn't change anything. "Follow your bliss" often pops into my mind.

[drewm3i]

Love Alan Watts, a good read I recommend is Walden by Henry David Thoreau.

[406Columbia]

Originally Posted by drewm3i

Love Alan Watts, a good read I recommend is Walden by Henry David Thoreau.

noted, will thrown that in my list of books

[406Columbia]

Originally Posted by daletournier

Interesting, never heard of Alan Watts up until recently, that clip has come my way twice in the last two weeks.

I'm very fortunate, I'm doing what I want to do and have been for sometime. If I had more money I'd still be doing this, in fact I probably wouldn't change anything. "Follow your bliss" often pops into my mind.

another one of my favorite authors that I read often is Kipling and while I love Kim and plain tales, etc. "If" is a favorite, anyway great reads.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by drewm3i

Love Alan Watts, a good read I recommend is Walden by Henry David Thoreau.

Anyone interested in secular buddhist philosophy, there's enough in here for a lifetime
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcu...OaVdA6w/videos

Back to "what you would do differently and why?", not sure that's actually a productive question to ask. That suggests that maybe you don't like the world as it is right now and would like it to change, except the past won't change, the only thing that exists is the present moment. Pragmatically I think one question can help quite a lot, would do I need to do right now to go to sleep most nights thinking that was a really good day and wake up most days excited. Then dig very very deep.
Cruising does it for me, much more living in the moment day by day just doing what needs to be done. Could never go back now....

[406Columbia]

Originally Posted by conachair

Anyone interested in secular buddhist philosophy, there's enough in here for a lifetime
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcu...OaVdA6w/videos

Back to "what you would do differently and why?", not sure that's actually a productive question to ask. That suggests that maybe you don't like the world as it is right now and would like it to change, except the past won't change, the only thing that exists is the present moment. Pragmatically I think one question can help quite a lot, would do I need to do right now to go to sleep most nights thinking that was a really good day and wake up most days excited. Then dig very very deep.
Cruising does it for me, much more living in the moment day by day just doing what needs to be done. Could never go back now....

Secular humanism doesn't do it for me in the least, but re prioritizing like you mention to go to bed each day thinking it was a day well spent is great.

[drewm3i]

Another good read re the meaning of life: The Abolition of Man, by C.S. Lewis. Although a Christian, Lewis defends Natural Law/The Tao and teleology/intrisinc meaning in this very short text from a universalist perspecitive.

[drewm3i]

Originally Posted by 406Columbia

noted, will thrown that in my list of books

If you are a Christian and a cruiser, you will love Thoreau! He's a Christian and pantheist, but somehow synthesizes the two successfully.

[Mike OReilly]

Life is what you make it. There is no external meaning, only the meaning we give it. In this light, I (we) have certainly approached our cruising life from a philosophical view.

In preparing for this life we distilled down what we were both after. It is captured in:

Creativity, Learning, Adventure, Freedom, Cessation

If I die today I do so knowing I am doing what I want, and living as I choose.

[406Columbia]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Life is what you make it. There is no external meaning, only the meaning we give it. In this light, I (we) have certainly approached our cruising life from a philosophical view.

In preparing for this life we distilled down what we were both after. It is captured in:

Creativity, Learning, Adventure, Freedom, Cessation

If I die today I do so knowing I am doing what I want, and living as I choose.

Are you an atheist or perhaps an agnostic?

[406Columbia]

Originally Posted by drewm3i

If you are a Christian and a cruiser, you will love Thoreau! He's a Christian and pantheist, but somehow synthesizes the two successfully.

Well I found that book for about five dollars on amazon new, so I will give it a look.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by 406Columbia

Are you an atheist or perhaps an agnostic?

I thought discussing religion was a no no on this site. Certainly has absolutely nothing to do with sailing. R

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by 406Columbia

Are you an atheist or perhaps an agnostic?

The former … but I’m not sure why that matters.

Thoreau is a must. I love listening to Watts. Also love people like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins. But meaning can’t be found ‘out there.’ Only you can discover your own reason for being.

There is wisdom in most grand traditions and good literature, but this is only the first step. It’s up to you.

[Pelagic]

To the OP, you asked a really good philosophical question "What do you Desire"?

A meaningful answer should not be constrained by religious pigeonholes.

We are more complicated than that and those of us who have successfully followed our passions thru to a happy and fullfilling career, tend to now reflect on our choices by measuring these Three Lifestyle Tenets:

To Live.
To Laugh.
To Love.

The rest is just window dressing and will never be part of who you really are.