The Zeitgeist Movie
January 8, 2009
Steve Clayback has been an avid American Dream Project researcher. He sent us this link back in December and after watching it, I felt compelled to post it as “food for thought” to the Blog. We will be posting more of Steve’s findings in the future. Thanks Steve!
- Candie Perkins
From Steve’s comment on Demand Ethical Leadership
“All I can add is that things have actually been worse than many of us have thought and we have been duped for a long time by those at the top. Sure, it has gotten to the point of total excess and therefore even the uninformed are starting to get the picture. But to really get an idea how much and how long we have been duped check out http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com. View the movies (free) and also print out the transcripts. If this doesn’t open your eyes and incite you to take action, nothing will and you better check your pulse to see if you are alive.”
The Meaning of Life
January 6, 2009
We have begun a new year, and the milestone that marks the passing of one and the beginning of another encourages us to look where we have been, and where we are going. Will we choose to live the New Year with purpose? Or will we simply walk aimlessly to some distant horizon? Why did you get out of bed this morning? Was their a purpose or was it just something you had to do?
As I look back at my own life and the year that has passed, I see both types of days. The interesting thing is that when I lived life with purpose and meaning, nothing could get me down. I knew why I got up in the morning, I understood the purpose to my actions, and everything I did meant something. When one chooses to live their life with purpose the distractions that drain of us of our life’s energy loose their power over us. When I have purpose I don’t get worked up if someone cuts me off on the freeway, says something I find offensive, or if someone doesn’t live up to my expectations. Why would I allow such a small thing to affect me when my life means so much more than such trivial distractions?
Stop for a moment and think about a time in your life when you felt truly driven. It needn’t be anything world changing or even life changing. Maybe it was a job interview that you felt really good about, or just a moment where you embraced life and enjoyed it.
I recently had such a moment on New Years day when a quick New Years jump in to the ocean turned in to a cold water endurance contest. For thirty minutes my daughters and I bobbed and floated in the surf without wetsuits, embracing the cold winter touch of the Pacific Ocean as it bit at our finger and toes. That simple act of embracing the experience turned something uncomfortable in to something joyful and filled with purpose and meaning.
One of the reasons that we frequently fail to find purpose and meaning in our lives is that we tend to look to others to find the meaning in our lives, when the meaning lies inside ourselves. How often do we suffer because some one fails to meet our expectations? This is what happens when we look outside to find happiness instead of finding it from within and enhancing it with the presence of friends and loved ones. It is unfair to burden someone else with the weight of all our hopes and dreams, and each of us must find the purpose and meaning inside of ourselves.
Another reason we frequently fail to find the purpose and meaning in our lives is that we fail to see that meaning has it exists right now. What does this moment mean to your life? To see the meaning in the past is nostalgia, the meaning of the future a hope and a dream, but to see the meaning of now is liberating because now is when your future is created. One of the most influential books I have ever read is “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle which goes in to great depth on the topic. The meaning in our lives must be constantly renewed if we are to overcome the ups and downs that life brings.
There are many resolutions that I could pursue in the year ahead. I could lose weight, do a better job at managing my money, or just resolve to do something great. In the end however, I realize that understanding the purpose and meaning in my own life is the foundation upon which all of these things rest, and my resolution is to renew the purpose of my life and give it meaning each day.
What is the greatest thing you can do to live a meaningful life in 2009 and beyond?