Seneca on the Shortness of Life

[catherine]

https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/0...tness-of-life/

Didn't know where to post this, but I think that consumerism sets us up for the "busyness" that is the focus of this article, and which inevitably shortens our lives.

“How we spend our days,” Annie Dillard memorably wrote in her soul-stretching meditation on the life of presence, “is, of course, how we spend our lives.” And yet most of us spend our days in what Kierkegaard believed to be our greatest source of unhappiness — a refusal to recognize that “busy is a decision” and that presence is infinitely more rewarding than productivity. I frequently worry that being productive is the surest way to lull ourselves into a trance of passivity and busyness the greatest distraction from living, as we coast through our lives day after day, showing up for our obligations but being absent from our selves, mistaking the doing for the being."

[razz]

That was interesting reading Cath. I totally relate to it. We choose where we spend our time or rather our freedom of thought.

[Teacher Terry]

Great article! I have had super busy times in my life like when my 3 boys were small and i was going to college f.t., etc. I choose a career that did not bring in a ton of $ but one that was personally fulfilling. It seems like yesterday that I was starting grad school for the 2nd master's degree and embarking on a new career at 39 which was very exciting. Now in semi-retirement I choose to not fill every second of my day but to have time to relax and enjoy and pick and choose what I want to do. I am at the downside of life at 63 and I am not going to waste any of it on stupid stuff that I do not want to do. I think that is one reason it has been so easy for me to downsize my stuff because how much stuff do I really want to dust? I have been right sizing my life the past 5 years and it feels great.

[happystuff]

Nice article. Sorry it took me so long to get to it. Great reminder that as I declutter my house, I also need to declutter my time.

[Lainey]

I love the brainpickings.org site, and I'm also a mini-patron sending her a few dollars a month. Very smart person, always very interesting articles and thoughts.