Link: Is a Well-Lived Life Worth Anything?
The Holiday Season is upon us. People are racing through the malls making sure to get that "just right" gift for friends and loved ones. The Holiday Season has become a shopper's heaven, the hedonic opulence of our times - if only for those who have available resources. When did this phenomenon appear? Have we lost the goal of living a meaningful life? A term the ancient Greeks called eudaimonia .
Several months ago I read the book Last Acts: Discovering Possibility and Opportunity at the End of Life , written by David J. Casarett, M.D. One might say, why would you read such a sad book? I would respond by saying that the compassion we show to those who are dying and to their families and friends during a time of great sorrow can become respectful, uplifting memories of that person's life. This compassion then elicits reflections about a meaningful life; a celebration of the life they led with its achievements and last desires.
Celebration of life then, evokes the question, "How do we know if we have lived well? First, I might say it is a spiritual question and one that can only be answered within. However, this Harvard Business Review article provides an interesting soliloquy of psychological realism in today's hard times. Consider the recent Occupy Movements and its dispersion across the nation. Umair Haque, in his HBR article above, describes "the heart of the economy today.."
He wrote,
Instead of an "energy industry," I see a resource addiction that saps money and preserves self-destructive expectations. I see, instead of food and education "industries," an obesity epidemic and a debt-driven education crisis. Instead of a pharmaceutical industry, I see a new set of mental and physical discontents, like rates of suspiciously normally "abnormal" mental illnesses and drugs whose lists of "side effects" are longer than the Magna Carta. Instead of a "media industry," I see news that actually misinforms instead of enlightening — rusting the beams of democracy — and entertainment that merely titillates.
I found Umair's article insightful; reminding me of our current health care crisis, nations across the globe wrestling with financial/debt issues, and people and families in need almost everywhere. It's not the world I remember growing up... where children had high hopes for college and secure financial futures for themselves and their families. No, those times have all but disappeared. We live in a new age.
So for those of us seeking a well-lived meaningful life in this new age, take a few minutes to contemplate these items from Umair's article:
- Living, (working, and playing) not just having.
- Better, not just more.
- Becoming, not just being.
- Creating and building, not just trading and raiding.
- Depth, not just immediacy.
We are the creators of the future.
This last statement resonates with me. Our children and our children's children have a tough road ahead, but with their courage and creativity they may find new insight into some of the toughest issues we face today. This is my hope.
To all, Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes to all for a Happy and Safe Holiday Season.
The Holiday Season is upon us. People are racing through the malls making sure to get that "just right" gift for friends and loved ones. The Holiday Season has become a shopper's heaven, the hedonic opulence of our times - if only for those who have available resources. When did this phenomenon appear? Have we lost the goal of living a meaningful life? A term the ancient Greeks called eudaimonia .
Several months ago I read the book Last Acts: Discovering Possibility and Opportunity at the End of Life , written by David J. Casarett, M.D. One might say, why would you read such a sad book? I would respond by saying that the compassion we show to those who are dying and to their families and friends during a time of great sorrow can become respectful, uplifting memories of that person's life. This compassion then elicits reflections about a meaningful life; a celebration of the life they led with its achievements and last desires.
Celebration of life then, evokes the question, "How do we know if we have lived well? First, I might say it is a spiritual question and one that can only be answered within. However, this Harvard Business Review article provides an interesting soliloquy of psychological realism in today's hard times. Consider the recent Occupy Movements and its dispersion across the nation. Umair Haque, in his HBR article above, describes "the heart of the economy today.."
He wrote,
I found Umair's article insightful; reminding me of our current health care crisis, nations across the globe wrestling with financial/debt issues, and people and families in need almost everywhere. It's not the world I remember growing up... where children had high hopes for college and secure financial futures for themselves and their families. No, those times have all but disappeared. We live in a new age.
So for those of us seeking a well-lived meaningful life in this new age, take a few minutes to contemplate these items from Umair's article:
We are the creators of the future.
This last statement resonates with me. Our children and our children's children have a tough road ahead, but with their courage and creativity they may find new insight into some of the toughest issues we face today. This is my hope.
To all, Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes to all for a Happy and Safe Holiday Season.