We live in turbulent times that give us a lot but perhaps demand even more from us. Life is exciting. We want to live it to the fullest. But how do you do that? There are so many options that we no longer know what to choose. There doesn’t seem to be much time to think, we have to choose quickly, act quickly. So as not to miss anything. There is no time to stand still and wonder what we are actually doing. This is how we move forward, but do we know where to go?
Art of living
You throw yourself into everything, but you don’t take care of yourself. We possess ourselves, but lead a life that is anything but stylish. Yet the West already had a culture of the self in ancient times: a focus on oneself with concrete attention to everyday life. Working on yourself is not narcissism! Especially in turbulent times, it is very necessary to stay afloat.
- Plato sees the art of living as self-knowledge, soul care, citizenship, detachment.
- Aristotle believes that the art of living lies in self-realization.
- According to Epicures, the art of living is enjoyment.
Current philosophy is once again addressing the question: How to live? Not in a theoretical, but in a practical sense. The answer? Life-long learning! The art of living is a sustainable matter.
Time for yourself
People often say that they don’t have time for reflection, for anything that doesn’t have to do with their work or family. But the essential things in life actually affect working and family life! If you don’t regularly think about the meaning of life, you wonder whether everyone is getting enough attention. Whether your husband is satisfied and your children can pour out their hearts to you, then you are lived. Is your idea of life also that of your husband and children? Or perhaps they have completely different views?
Stress
We live in a dynamic time and suffer from fragmentation and too many choices. There is nothing new under the sun. Stress was also known in ancient times. Man responds from his inner (dis)order. He is absorbed in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. He doesn’t want to miss anything. But take a step aside and look at the lives of yourself and your fellow sufferers. Why do you have to be there for everything (while that is impossible)? We get carried away too quickly and too much. Take time for reflection, relax; before going to sleep, during your lunch break, or before you go to work. How do you do that? By distracting your thoughts, not from worrying about something else, but rather letting them wander aimlessly in all directions. This can be done by taking a walk through the neighborhood, jogging in the park, or strolling through the market.
Stress was also known in ancient times.
Victim
After a culture of self-denial and consumerism, we have increasingly entered a culture of self-care. However, don’t start thinking about your life until it’s too late; if you are seriously ill or on your deathbed. Do it now! In everyday life we often withdraw from a conscious form of life and we easily see ourselves as victims. That is the easiest way, after all, if we are victims, we can’t do anything about it? But victimhood is a choice! You don’t have to resign yourself to anything, there is always a choice to look at things differently, to do something about your situation. Only when you have tried everything in vain should you give up and try to accept the situation and learn to deal with it.
Check
Everyone has the capacity for control. Yet some people are always late. Others snack too much or eat too much fat. Or they don’t exercise enough and when they get older they expect the doctor to solve their medical problems with a course of treatment. Still others indulge in bargains, but has that ever made you feel better? Or we blurt out things that we soon regret. We are partly responsible for our own lives; We are not entirely responsible, there are too many things that play a role and that we really cannot do anything about. Then try to develop an attitude of responsibility for those things that you can do something about.
How consciously are you in life, or are you lived…?
Self-responsibility
Self-responsibility means taking a greater share in the control of your life. Understand your wishes, evaluate them. Explore your own sources, talents, resources. Intervene on time. See where you stand. Admit that you don’t know something or stick your neck out. What does that mean in concrete terms?
- You choose the security of a job; but your free time is completely spent on what you really like to do.
- You love your freedom, and you accept an irregular and even minimal income.
- You are willing to mop up the house yourself and do time-consuming and annoying chores, as long as you are your own boss.
- You choose to be an artist, realizing that you mainly have to accept commercial assignments.
- You have enough discipline to put yourself to work and are good at being alone: you choose independence.
- You realize that you have to lobby and network a lot to bring your work into the spotlight in order to generate an income.
Goals
The desire for self-responsibility implies the recognition that you cannot keep all options open nor fulfill them. Try to gain insight into yourself (sense) and your possibilities (control) and choose. Focus. Align goals and resources. Don’t be a headless chicken. Weigh risks: which direction are you going? Gerard Reve put it sharply: Forward, but where?