Today's online headlines reported a lot of death around the world (e.g., Texas, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, India, etc.) The heat wave in India http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-32880180, where over 1000 people have died to date, caused me to think about my New Year's resolution - to live this year as if it is my last. The deaths in India and elsewhere in the world are of course very sad and my heart goes out to the friends and families; however, these tragic deaths are also a reminder to me to live my life as if it were to soon be over.
When I made this resolution, I didn't think it would be too difficult; however, it has been challenging just to remember to think about it every day. When I do think about it, the question becomes - is there something else I should be doing? When I'm stuck in traffic, the answer is often "yes":) but often, nothing comes to mind that makes me want to drastically change where I'm living or what I'm doing.
Sure, if I really was going to die in a year, I've thought about moving back to Denver to be close to my daughter and while that might make me feel good, I doubt she would feel the same way - she has her own life now. I've also thought about going to some third world country to do good (e.g., "help the poor") but that also seems selfish. So, I go round and round in my mind thinking this through and always come back to the same conclusion - keep meditating to increase my awareness and focus on loving kindness and compassion.
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