I built a sandcastle at the beach yesterday. It was a silly thing to do at my age, but I was very cold after my swim, and I wasn’t ready to leave the beach or to put on a shirt. So I ran for a bit up and down the sand, which warmed me a little, and then I made a sandcastle, which helped even more. I worried the efforts of running and digging sand might flare my arthritis, but it gladly hasn’t; in fact, my joints feel good—and better still, my body feels healthy, youthful even, for the exercise, sunshine and exposure I had. And that’s good, and something to remember, and ask my doctor about when I see him again this week.
That said, I still can’t seem to ease my pre-dawn worries about work. And this morning’s worries were ridiculous! More silly even than a fifty-eight year old man building a sandcastle all alone on a cold winter beach, as I was awake in the dark and worried about work with nothing particular to worry about. My mind was blank: like a potter at his wheel without clay, or an old man meeting friends for donuts at dawn when nobody else shows up. I had no materials to work with, as I couldn’t think of anything job-related to fret over—but yet I worried about work.
In a few years this current life will be done and I’ll apply my time to new and different virtuous ends. But I’m not going to waste those coming days in leisure—I’ll work hard then, too. And until that time I’ll expect and accept my current challenges, including these difficult mornings of nonsense worry, and I’ll experiment with new methods of resolution. And if I can’t relieve these thoughts, then at least I will endure them well—like an old man building a sandcastle on a winter beach to stay warm; I’ll do what I can to sustain and improve in whatever circumstance my life does maintain.
I am resolved to work hard at my job, and at my efforts to better control my thoughts, actions and plans related to my job, as well as my life in general, including my responsibilities now and in future days.
The Good Life Meditation is my daily recitation and reminder of personal objectives and principles used in pursuit of a purposeful life in spite of a universe of seeming indifference. Learn more about The Good Life at my website GoingAlone.org or by reading my book Going Alone. And visit our Discord at: https://lnkd.in/gFgfGmY6
OBJECTIVES: 1. Be Always Ready to Die 2. Make Good Use of Time and Resources 3. Develop Good and Sound Life Principles 4. Cultivate Good Emotional Reactions 5. Perform Good Actions 6. Recognize True Limits and Opportunity 7. One Thing Slowly
PRINCIPLES: 1. Principle of War 2. Principle of Reason 3. Homunculus 4. Anchorhold 5. Home of Good and Evil 6. Principle of Purpose 7. Atomic Principle 8. Principle of Nature 9. The Pirate Ride 10. Principle of Maturity 11. Social Principle 12. Public Speaking 13. Temperance 14. Life Will Not Go Well 15. The Horror Show 16. That Which Must Be Borne 17. The Feast of Offal 18. Distraction 19. Agency and The Great Indifference 20. The Best Seat in the House 21. The Restless Man 22. The Path of Wildness 23. The Great Life Adventure 24. The Risk of Avoiding Risk 25. Sin and Damnation 26. Complete Oblivion 27. The Season of Philosophy 28. Bullseye Aim 29. The Uphill Climb 30. Arena and Utility 31. Nothing IS enough 32. The Principle of Fun
My name is Kurt Bell.
You can learn more about The Good Life in my book Going Alone.
Be safe... But not too safe.