my life philosophy
the aesthetics that guide my life
This post is part of a 4-week course led by Peter Limberg from Less Foolish where we’re practicing the art of philosophical inquiry. I’m sharing my first assignment - my life philosophy in 500 words or less.
I believe that I am here to experience the full spectrum of life, to discover who I actually am, and to offer the gifts that arise from this process to something greater than myself.
The purpose of my philosophy is to help me remember.
To remember what was guiding me before I was told that I don't know how to think, how to do the right thing, or that wisdom is the domain of adults.
To remember that my internal human machinery is enough to make sense of reality and create the life that works for me.
To remember that I am interdependent with nature and other beings and they are there for me when I experience existential confusion.
Life feels to me like a pendulum swing, exploring the spectrum of polarities in search of the optimal way.
There is no feminine without the masculine.
There is no ecstasy without pain.
There is no love without fear.
There is no intimacy without disconnection.
There is no togetherness without solitude.
There is no peace without war.
In order to taste the full spectrum of life, I need to develop a strong core, a grounding base, and an ability to hold that delicious tension between polarities.
My philosophy arises and evolves to help me remember that. To pause and get in touch with the truth of my experience before judgment, speech, or action.
To orient me back to a place of internal alignment and ownership.
To have discernment that is relevant to each situation, instead of following rules, shoulds, or crowds.
And to have the courage to take the action that feels right, with full awareness of consequences that can’t ever be fully predicted.
It seems to me that there exists something like the flow of life, the way things are.
My spiritual challenge is to discern when leaning forward supports the flow of life, and when more spaciousness is what’s needed.
My philosophy is supported by an intention to maximize on two dimensions: being in touch with reality, and holding myself steady in the face of that which I don’t understand.
In this way, I aim to make life my teacher.
I'm loving this openness, curiosity, and wholehearted acceptance to what life is about to offer to you.
Known or unbeknownst to you, the pendulum swing and the in touch with nature is Daoism. I think also to keep in mind that the pendulum swings constantly: never settle in one state. Flow like water.