The Art of Living
Trying to become a more observant person, sometimes I force myself to think about what I am seeing from an out-of-the-box perspective. I become entrenched in thought and, in turn, my thoughts grow me in a whole new way.
For example, I noticed the following quote on the wall of the office of one of my colleagues last year and began to have one of those moments.
"A person who is a master in the art of living makes little distinction between their work and their play, their labour and their leisure, their mind and their body, their education and their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which and simply pursue their vision of excellence and grace, whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing. To them they are always doing both."
Lawrence Pearsall Jacks
It took me several times to read through the quote before I fully comprehended what it was saying. To be sure I understood, I snapped a picture for further reflection when I had some time to justly dissect.
After my tasks wound down and I had some time to consider what this quote was really saying, I had to ask myself a few questions. Now, it is not so often that I have one of these occasions, so don't go rushing ahead of me by assuming I am a serious sage. I am not! However, I thought a few of you may appreciate such a quote, its ensuing thoughts, and the growth that may possibly accompany them.
Don't we all desire to reach that point in our lives where we can say we have mastered the art of living as described in this quote? Or, maybe you don't. Maybe, you are good with living your life with a split personality. One part of you lives the professional life and the other part of you lives the personal.
The things you do at school are not necessarily the things you would do at home. The way you speak to your students in not the same as how you speak to your own children. You would never dream of shirking a job responsibility, but have no problem procrastinating on a task around your house. Or maybe it is the other way around.
Shouldn't we continually seek to live a life that is meaningful and relevant? Or, do you wish to be forgotten after you move on to something else? Maybe you are living in such a way that your influence is making little positive impact on those around you. Maybe you are good with just existing and holding down a job. Satisfied with the status quo and getting by.
Another question that comes to mind is, am I existing in a way that compels others to join me on my journey? I don't know about you, but that is a little deep! Those are some heavy hitting questions that are truly thought provoking. My point is, it is healthy to get out of our box and face ourselves from a new perspective.
