The Well-Lived Life

 

Someone I follow on Facebook had used this quote to describe why she no longer uses a daily planner, but instead has a simple book which she uses to sketch and jot down ideas.

I love this quote because it reminds me to stop and smell the roses. Which I do already, I can sit and savor the moment like noone's business, but I do find myself drawn to the other extreme as well.

I love problem solving. I get a thrill out of finding the problem in an otherwise okay situation and thinking about how it can be improved. Some people call that negativity. I believe there could be some good in having that skill. I just haven't found it  yet. Or perhaps I am in the wrong field. I love it when everything is almost right, and then! I find the crack. I get off on that a little. Anyway, I thought about this quote and what it means to me.

There is a reality out there. There are sweet, pink roses to smell and there is dark, musky coffee to savor. I imagine the exquisite rush of a blustering breeze at the top of a mountain. The glint of sunlight on crashing foam waves as my feet sink ever so slightly into the damp sand. There are laughs to share and cozy beds to snuggle into on cold wintry nights (well, not so much in this part of the country--oh North, I belong with you). And all these delicious sensual delights indeed add up to a life well-lived.

But what is this about problem-solving? As someone on a constant quest for self-improvement, this made me wonder-am I missing the point? Can we work for more and for better and still savor what we have?

I think we can. I think we can find the crack in the armor, while still appreciating the fine workmanship of that armor. We can see what needs more work, without disparaging what has already been accomplished. I believe in counting our blessings, and I believe in progress. Life merely lived doesn't progress. Constant striving for progress doesn't appreciate.

I think that is what this blog should be about: Finding that balance.