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Thread: What is your Purpose?

  1. #21
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    I agree. I try not to judge as a result since I quite often will take the less travelled route that puzzles some people but I know that others are just as intelligent as I believe that I am.

    Quote Originally Posted by iris lilies View Post
    Williamsmith, what a great parable.
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

  2. #22
    Williamsmith
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    Quote Originally Posted by iris lilies View Post
    Williamsmith, what a great parable.
    IL...Im glad that you appreciate it. But I have to admit......that is exactly what I did this morning. Right now, I am enjoying a bourbon and ginger ale ....but there is no parable to tell that I know of. I don't have the capacity to make anything up. My mother beat that out of me at an early age. It seemed to be her purpose.

  3. #23
    Geila
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    I wasn't trying to be judgmental. I was just surprised by the apparent contradiction.

    We all contradict ourselves from time to time. I'm always talking about how much I love my house after being Kondo'd, yet now I'm posting about buying one or two cat trees.

    Do my cats need a "tree"? Debatable.
    Will they use it? Don't know.
    Will it spark joy in me? Probably not.

    Do I hope that it will contain the cat hair in one spot and make my life easier? Yes!
    Will it do that? Have no idea!

    I am not one for appreciating the quality of good parables. The message often eludes me and I'm left confused. I'm too literal for it. In this parable, is the friend who leaves a path of destruction behind meant to represent Trump? And does this mean different paths (despite their destructiveness) are worth respecting because they achieve the same goal and the goal itself is worthy/desirable/beneficial?

    As I said, the parable is probably lost on me. I remain surprised and confused.

    And I didn't mean to derail an excellent, and very positive, thread by bringing in politics. I was just taken aback. I apologize if my post came across as judgmental.

  4. #24
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    Since retiring, I am learning quickly not to take myself (and life) so seriously. Life as a human honestly doesn't make a lot of sense most of the time, does it? When you finally step out of the rat race and leave all that behind, you begin to realize that all the striving meant very little in the grand scheme of things. And that worrying about it was equally useless. If you've ever walked around a cemetery, you realize how short our lives are and how many humans have come and gone in a blink. So I guess my purpose is the old adage "leave things better than your found them." I strive to create peace and beauty in whatever tiny way I can. Now that I'm older, having a little fun seems like a good purpose.

  5. #25
    Williamsmith
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    Quote Originally Posted by Geila View Post
    I wasn't trying to be judgmental. I was just surprised by the apparent contradiction.

    We all contradict ourselves from time to time. I'm always talking about how much I love my house after being Kondo'd, yet now I'm posting about buying one or two cat trees.

    Do my cats need a "tree"? Debatable.
    Will they use it? Don't know.
    Will it spark joy in me? Probably not.

    Do I hope that it will contain the cat hair in one spot and make my life easier? Yes!
    Will it do that? Have no idea!

    I am not one for appreciating the quality of good parables. The message often eludes me and I'm left confused. I'm too literal for it. In this parable, is the friend who leaves a path of destruction behind meant to represent Trump? And does this mean different paths (despite their destructiveness) are worth respecting because they achieve the same goal and the goal itself is worthy/desirable/beneficial?

    As I said, the parable is probably lost on me. I remain surprised and confused.

    And I didn't mean to derail an excellent, and very positive, thread by bringing in politics. I was just taken aback. I apologize if my post came across as judgmental.
    Geila, there is no need to apologize. It is a contradiction. But I don't think contradiction is necessarily a bad thing. In music there are passages that are contradictory to the main theme and the resolution of that contradiction seems to make the piece whole and compelling. Have you heard a chord or note that just seems dissident and needs to be resolved?

    A story is also just a story. It is just as valid to be surprised and confused. It may be more valid, maybe you are digging deeper. Good luck with the cats. Somebody has to make up for me. I'm not a big fan of hairballs.

  6. #26
    Senior Member KayLR's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pinkytoe View Post
    Since retiring, I am learning quickly not to take myself (and life) so seriously. Life as a human honestly doesn't make a lot of sense most of the time, does it? When you finally step out of the rat race and leave all that behind, you begin to realize that all the striving meant very little in the grand scheme of things. And that worrying about it was equally useless. If you've ever walked around a cemetery, you realize how short our lives are and how many humans have come and gone in a blink. So I guess my purpose is the old adage "leave things better than your found them." I strive to create peace and beauty in whatever tiny way I can. Now that I'm older, having a little fun seems like a good purpose.
    Yes, this, pinkytoe!

    And love---love others as I would like to be loved and try to be an example of love for my grandchildren. That and demonstrating respect for nature and environment to them is about all I feel I have energy for anymore aside from my own self-care.

    I used to be consumed with finding my purpose--(remember "The Purpose-Driven Life") and it compelled me to go back to school, amass student debt, move and changed my life. But it really was for nothing I thought it would be. What happened after that is nothing near what I imagined my life/career/purpose fulfillment would be.

    But now I'm ok with it.
    My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already!

  7. #27
    Geila
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    Quote Originally Posted by Williamsmith View Post
    Geila, there is no need to apologize. It is a contradiction. But I don't think contradiction is necessarily a bad thing. In music there are passages that are contradictory to the main theme and the resolution of that contradiction seems to make the piece whole and compelling. Have you heard a chord or note that just seems dissident and needs to be resolved?
    I've been thinking about this. The music analogy made sense. Even though I'm not the slightest bit musical I felt a sharp twinge of recognition. I once took a leap in a direction that made no sense. It was the opposite of what I believed in. A contradiction and splitting off of self. And at the root of that leap (and all the events that followed) was a need for resolution. Though I didn't know it at the time. I understand now.
    Last edited by Geila; 9-30-17 at 12:30am.

  8. #28
    Geila
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    I've been really enjoying this thread. It feels like a basket of goodness. So many different things, and all of them good.

    I'm going to be re-reading the posts now that my energy crisis seems to be handled, but a few things struck me as I read, like Catherine's description of a house as a tomb, and Teacher Terry feeling she is not "creative" enough and how we define creativity.

    Catherine - you might enjoy something I read a while back about a house and the things in it. Something about your use of the word tomb in relation to the house made me think of it: http://www.poormansfeast.com/archive...the-weeds.html

    Teacher Terry - I can relate to your feelings about creativity as I feel lacking in that regard myself. And I often wish CL would post photos of her work so we could enjoy them! But what struck me about your post was the immensity of the things that you have created via your actions. Making it possible for a person to carve a new life for themselves? Honoring that kind of commitment to another person simply because of how you view others? If there was reincarnation, I could imagine a being evolving from maker to guide. You're a guide, Teacher Terry. Your handle is most appropriate.

    KayLR - yes, LOVE.

  9. #29
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Geila View Post

    Catherine - you might enjoy something I read a while back about a house and the things in it. Something about your use of the word tomb in relation to the house made me think of it: http://www.poormansfeast.com/archive...the-weeds.html
    Wow, Geila. She writes exactly how I feel--she is in my skin. My 33 year old son has been here for a week from Vermont, following a break-up with a girlfriend (she broke up and he's devastated, but that's another story). He's the one whose mantra to us is, "Move up to Vermont!!!!" He's like a broken record. He lives in a tiny one bedroom apartment in the heart of Burlington. He has no credit cards. No car. He has very few things.

    He told me that I inspired him to live simply, but it seems like he's the master now. I tried to explain to him how difficult it is to just pull up roots after 32 years in one place--both from an emotional standpoint, and just from the perspective of having to get rid of so much crap. Interestingly, the artlcle reminds me so much of the conversation I just had last night with him. I told him that part of the difficulty in getting rid of stuff is that being that I'm not a Raymoor & Flanigan let's-buy-a-living-room-suite type of person, all of my furnishings are second hand and each comes with its own story.

    When I talked about how much I would have to get rid of to downsize from 2200 sq ft to 700 sq ft, I found myself sounding just like my MIL when I said, "What would I do with my wedding china?" I wanted to slap myself for saying that!! I remember how silly I thought my MIL was when she was concerned about what would happen to her Royal Doulton figurines when she died. Now I was channeling her--but I don't even like my wedding china and we only use it once year!!!

    Thanks so much for the article. I'm going to print it out in put it in my file of articles I need to reread for a little while--at least until I move myself into 700 square feet in Vermont!
    Last edited by catherine; 9-30-17 at 8:52am.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
    www.silententry.wordpress.com

  10. #30
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    That article was very helpful. http://www.poormansfeast.com/archive...the-weeds.html Thank you!

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