Yesterday, in a deep and profound conversation with a friend, she shared a writing prompt she had been given.
“Who are you living for?”
What a fascinating question.
Who am I living for?
My mind immediately jumped to the most obvious answer.. I am living for me.
And then it asked, What does that mean?
The question simmers as I smile on this beautiful spring morning where seemingly overnight the leaves have unfurled from where, just the day before, they hung in winter’s naked listlessness.
This morning, my world is awash in brilliant green hues and I feel as light as the spring breeze wafting through the open deck door.
Like the robin who arrives again and again with twigs to build her nest in the rafters above our downstairs patio, the question comes back to me. Am I living for myself or am I trying to be all things for so many people I am not living my true self life where I am creating my world based on what I believe others want?
What does it mean to ‘live for myself’?
Is it selfish? Or, is it the most effective way to live to give back to this world my unique gifts and talents so that I can create better in the world around me?
Is living for myself giving myself medicine first so that I can have medicine to give others?
Is living for myself the medicine I need most?
Wonderful thoughts to ponder as I journey forth into my day.
I asked myself a question this morning. I thought I knew the answer. In my thinking I did, a beautiful, mysterious path opens up leading me deeper into the exquisite nature of my humanness, bringing me closer and closer to my essential essence.
In every step I take along that path, I expand more and more into becoming the all of me that is left when I release my knowing to allow the unknown to appear.
How divine.
What about you? Have you ever pondered the question, “Who are you living for?” Does it resonate or does it lead to more questions? Does it excite you? Do you think you know the answer?
I’d love to hear more.
Namaste
Dare Boldly 
Great question to ponder Louise. As I am out today I am going to think about it and start discovering who and what I am living for.
Thank you for sharing this question.
Blessings
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I love how curious and engaged you are with life Cristl. Such a wonderufl inspiration for my morning!
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LG,
None of us ask to be created – but from the moment we exit a womb, we seem pre-programmed with instincts for survival while being vulnerable. While growing up, again, not by our choice, our creators shape us into who they think we should be – and we push back, not because we know better, but because we want to determine our own destiny. The more we ‘feel that’, the happier we are; the less we ‘feel that’, the more determined we become in a quest to figure it all out …
Cheers,
Mark
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YOu know, I read your comment and read… None of us ask to be creative – LOL — fact is, none of us ask to be created, nor creative. 🙂
Vulnerability in a physically unsafe world is scary. Vulnerability when we feel emotionally safe is powerful.
I think the challenge becomes when we determine our own destiny without relationship to our relationships, our own destiny supersedes all others and vice a versa. I like how you frame ‘feel that’ in the more and less. So true.
Thanks Mark for the morning conundrum!
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Elgie,
We are the product of billions of years of evolution – and 300,000 years of being humans, mostly in the form we are today except for that fifth toe so many women are determined to lose from buying ill-fitting shoes – we have become so comfortable in our Jetson-like world of comfort, devices, and immediacy shared by billions on Facebook, that it’s hard to see that the 3rd world refugees are far BETTE equipped to deal with the future than most of us. This is not a apocalyptic movie we are watching – it is us, WE, all of us, are too comfortable and there is too much hate, polarization and following the loudest idiot on the highest pillar spouting hate-speech too early in the day to be called hangry, we need a new world order – but whether we are active or passive, the new world order is coming. It’s being delivered by Russian tanks, Chinese ‘balloons’, ChatGPT, A.I. run amok, and Danielle Smith being as Trumpian as the religious extremists who are now – ironically, turning against her.
More for fun; tune into my Musing column tomorrow – it will be posted at: https://markmusing.substack.com/ … and please sing up.
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Singing loud, dancing wild and free, laughing out loud and living as if life is a gift that demands I live joyfully in the beauty and preciousness of this moment right now. Thanks my friend.
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Still figuring it out! One would think that into my seventh decade I just may have an inkling of “who am I living for”. Maybe the question should be “why am I living”? If the intent is “to live for someone” does that mean “I” do not count? I am a person, a living creature who can think, rationalize, opine and make decisions. Ergo I should be living for myself. However I choose to live among others of the same ilk, ergo, do I live for them to enjoy, interact with me?
My jet-lagged body is telling me to wind down as my mind swirls with WHY anything …
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It definitely is a powerful question Iwona — today’s from my box of ice Breaker Deeper Talk cards is: What does it mean to be human — in case you were looking for more mental fodder… 🙂 ❤
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