The question: How can one know they are living their best life?
A boost of joy when settling the question of all questions/Unsplash
Oscar Wilde, Aristotle, Buddah and Jesus weighed in.
Many have studied and followed these guides.
They offer different advice for . . .
love
work
suffering
death
So, choose wisely or the result can be disastrous.
The most popular humanities course at Yale University explores them and others in a class entitled, “Life Worth Living.” Multiple professors teach it.
They compare how the great philosophies answer this question, How can one know they are living their best life? What makes life worth living? What’s worth pursuing? Is what we desire worth it? How does one know they are on the best track to flourish?
The pandemic sweeping America is work without purpose.
Satisfaction is good at 65% of U.S. workers (ZIPPIA, 6/28/22).
But, passion is low at only 20%.
“Work is of two kinds: first, altering the position of matter at or near the earth’s surface relative to other matter; second, telling other people to do so.”Bertrand Russell
Many folks are successful at work but struggle without purpose.
Even more retire without purpose.
Recently, I was fascinated by an artist in the 19th century who struggled with the same thing.
James Tissot painted high society Paris during the age of Impressionism and mentored well-known artists like Degas. He was immensely talented and successful.
Absorbing hourly reports of Ukrainian genocide is driving worldwide anger and compassion.
What else can we do to stop brutal murders like that of Mayor Olha Sukhenko?
Ukrainian mayor Olha Sukhenko with son and husband/Facebook
Neighbors found her body, hands tied, with her husband and son buried in a mass grave.
The war appears to be hopeless.
Where is God in all of this?
Where is sanity, beauty and goodness?
It’s in the power of purpose which is found in three noble ideals.
Noble Ideal #1: Protect your village
Mayor Sukhenko, 50, led her village of 1,000 with nobility and intent.
She renovated the kindergarten, cultural center and made other improvements to Motyzhyn.
Fellow mayor Tetiana Semenova, described Olha as a . . .
“. . . psycologist, priest and police, and many more things besides. Every year she put on a concert to celebrate the oldest and the youngest in the village, to thank military veterans, and to hand out awards for the best-looking street and building.” WSJ, 04/06/2022
On top of this, she led the resistance by supplying the Ukrainian military with Russian troop positions.
Russian soldiers murdered Olha and her family.
She died protecting her village.
Noble Ideal #2: Never settle for less
Less than what? The best.
The best is not your best interest. It’s everyone else’s.
How many mayors have you ever heard of sponsoring concerts to lift the spirits of the oldest and youngest alike?
Olha was happiest meeting the needs of everyone she loved and protected.
All the way to the point of dying for them.
“She was the best person until her last minute.” WSJ, 04/06/2022
Noble Ideal #3: Commit early
You don’t have to wait for a crisis to lead a life of purpose.
Why not do it right now with this simple exercise?
“If you could throw a log on a fire each time your life really made a difference, whether a small act of courage or kindness, or a work of art, would you have a bonfire or a flicker?” Richard Leider
Imagine it’s your 80th birthday. Write a statement about how your life made a difference: “My 80th birthday—‘Here is a person who . . .'”
This exercise will clarify a purposeful life like Olha, even if you make it past 50.
