Sunday, August 9, 2015

Thoreau - Will you do these few vital things?

[If you receive this by email, always click on the title to see the rest of the piece.]

For you to consider, doing at least one thing as suggested below.

Thoreau, in Walden:

 "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately

to front only the essential facts of life, [why do the unnecessary or that which contributes little?]

and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, [to think about life deliberately and decide what was of value]

 and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. [So few people confront that they are just going through life at too low a level to really call it truly living life!]

I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; [I might even plan my day to determine what was of most real, personal value and to assure that it was inserted into the day as a true priority, to be protected and defended as a high value component of my life]

nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. [many people live passively in some areas of their lives - are you willing to accept that in yours?]

I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, [perhaps this might be adopted as your "intention" for your life:  "I will live deep - and suck all the marrow out of life!"]

to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms [do what is most essential and of the highest value],

and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world [if that way of living didn't work, then clearly define it and its "why" and say so!];

or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion." [and, it came to pass, that living deliberately and focusing (at least first) on the essential was what worked!]

Action items:

Simply, plan your day ahead of time, just asking what will make this day of the most value to me personally?    ___ Commit to do this daily, as it is the strongest of strategies for success, but the most neglected!!!

Go to The Site and do the exercise of identifying your highest value activities and your lowest value activities.  

Answer the question on The Site:  What Is Enough? - It can be hugely freeing, while increasing one's happiness at the same time.

(Put these items on your planned to do list and then decide to set up a time to do them, or perhaps do one of the latter two right now, but only if you can at least spend an initial 1/2 hour on the item - isn't life worth doing to completion to that level where something will truly benefit oneself???)
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The Site:

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