Design of Our Life

On a regular basis, I give consideration to how I'm "Designing" and working with my life. I find it helpful to give attention to how I think and feel about things that I'm intent to introducing and disinviting from my life. There's always a price or cost involved. There's an expected "Return on Investment" (ROI) and an "Return on Disinvesting" (ROD).

The Return on Disinvesting usually related to some form of suffering being reduced or dissolving all together. The Things I'm investing in bring with it the anticipation and expectation that there will be some measure of happiness. Despite these expectations, they can be psychological and emotional fine print and a lot of "hidden cost," involved in the direction that I'm attempting to move in.

The design of life is a personal process for me. I feel this is mostly because I'm looking to see if I'm on or off course. Am I moving in the direction I expected? Are the things that I own and own me helping or hurting my life? Am I moving at the pace I expected? Was I overly optimistic about assumptions that I made? Am I draining time and energy from better serving and deserving activities? Is the current shape and design of my life sustainable?

These questions are important. There is the implication that I assess and re-value both myself, people, places and things that I'm interacting with. When I skip this activity I find myself frustrated, because I've either over or under committed to various things. Again, this can include myself.

The design of our life, belongs to each of us. Are we genuinely being? The design of life, connects to self-esteem, purpose, possibly a sense of contribution to all beings and unifying our heart and mind. If you're not doing this, perhaps you might find it useful. Give it an effort. You might surprise yourself.

Yours In Zen,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
digitalZENDO

Comments

[Marguerite Manteau-Rao]

This strikes me as a very top-down, linear approach. A place to start for process of self-inquiry, as good as any other. And also, just that. Then, I would imagine you would need to put all those questions/beginning of answers to rest, and let your psyche, and the process of mindfulness do its work. I have found rational thinking to be of limited use for these kinds of decisions. Life has a way of surprising with answers not imaginable by rational mind. This being said, I agree, it is important to take charge of one's life, and not let oneself drift aimlessly.

deep bow,

marguerite