Lucid Moments?

This is a big one that has actually been "brewing" for the last couple of years or more.
... but its tough to try to cover it in a single post,
... here goes anyway :)


I was thinking more about those Grey Gypsies, and then the motorbike riders from this last trip... and then about all of us living our lives...

It seemed to me that the bigger the RV, the less the people in it were "interacting" with the world... And of course, the smaller the RV, the more the people were interacting with the world...
And that looked like the same "pattern" that was happening for the different styles of motorbike riders I saw...
And that in fact looked like the same pattern for people living in different styles of house...
And different life styles...
And, well, the same pattern as everything!

And it seemed to me, in a general way, that the more interacting that was happening, the better!
... regardless of if it was RVs, motorbikes, houses, or anything...
I believe it applies to lives in general!

Back to the RV analogy...
What I mean is, that when you have brought all your "stuff" with you, then you spend all your time with your stuff and not with the world outside.
If you are not careful, you end up rather like a goldfish in your self-made bow!
...
You only talk to your traveling partner in your big RV...
You see the world passing you buy as if it were on a big-screen TV...
You are immune to the weather outside (heating and air-conditioning)...
You have all your own food and cooking facilities with you...
You have all your own hygiene and washing facilities with you...
There is enough space to not feel too cooped up, so...
Why would you ever need to experience the discomforts of being outside... all those bugs and the dust, and the other annoying people etc...

And to me that seemed to substantially reduce the value of traveling... Not to nil but closer to that end of the scale than the other!...
You literally could just about get the same value if you stay home and watch the Discovery and Nature channels on your big-screen!


So, why do I value the "experience" of traveling and interacting so much?

Well, it has a lot to do with the way I look at life...
And that is that I basically think that "life in this world" has a huge amount to offer us and that what it has to offer is largely experiential. Now I also think there are huge amounts to be learned through our "internal" experiences too (and things like meditation and book-learning fit in this category for me), but I see those as not "of this world", though stimulated by the experiences of this world (and stimulating in their own right for that matter too).

So, I see the world as providing stimulus through experiences. And the combination of the stimulus and our internal experiences that they provoke, as our means to growth and greater self knowledge...

And that, is the best version of "The meaning of life" that I have been able to come up with so far!

To sum it up, I believe that "our purpose" in life is to "grow"... to become more... to become a better self!

... And that is based on the idea that everything is transient... Its all temporary and will change and end... weather we want it to or not... Its just a matter of time. (Review previous posts -way back- for more on this idea)
And given that...
What is there that is worth doing in this life that is "more than just self"?
... Since the "selfishness" thing is found to be so "hollow" and unsatisfying! (well, by me anyway)

For me at least, there is a great need to "contribute" to the world... to others... to life... to the universe!... to give more than I take!...
Just to contribute in some form!
... and as yet, that need is "unfulfilled" and I feel I am badly "in debt" to life.

And Ive struggled with that question, one way and another, for many years!
And only now am I starting to arrive at an answer that truly "feels" RIGHT for me!
Its not a complete answer yet, and it will likely still change over time, but I suspect it will just get more "refined" rather than have any major changes. :)
...


And given all that; the best thing that I have found that I can contribute...

Is ME!

...and as a side note, I find that in fact its something that ONLY I can contribute!  :)


And given that, Gee!, Itd be a real shame to just contribute this crappy, stressed out, negative version of ME when I could contribute a happy, generous, loving, productive ME instead...


So, I want to be the best "ME" that I can be!


Its far more complex than just turning everything I do into a competition (even if only with myself)... since I truly believe that "there is no competition"... ever! And its far more complex than just buying in on a "generic, or publically accepted definition of what is a better me... Its very subtle and it is wholely up to me to define what it means, as I believe it is for everyone else too... It requires a huge amount of respect for others to make their own choices and understanding of how my choices affect others etc... as I said, very complex.
But, in essence, its about... "becoming more"...

And that leads back to the "experience" thing...
I believe that the best way for me to grow and "become more", is to first "be aware" that that is my goal.
Thats actually a huge step that I think gets lost for most people (myself included) at a very early age. So, while it is stated there "matter of factly", its actually a huge realization and took me a great deal of time and effort to "rediscover".
But, once I realized that, it helps clear up lots of other stuff... So, the question now becomes "How best to grow?".

And the answer to that seems to me to be "pay attention" and watch what happens; And expose myself to experiences. That means being "open to them" rather than blocking them and in no way requires the luxury of international travel or idyll wanderings :)
I think its the "being open to" aspect that gets seriously compromised by the "reduced interaction with the world" that I mentioned at the start of this post.

What I think is happening is that when we are born, we basically have absolutely no control over our world and the experiences that come at us. As we grow older, we slowly gain more and more control of our world, starting with our own bodys and extending outward as we learn to communicate and move and choose...
And that choosing is being selective about what "portion" of the world we interact with. What our choices and our "stuff" (the direct product of our material choices) represent are our preferences for what we like in the world... and we "buffer" our selves from what we dont like in the world by these choices... In fact, thats just about all that our choices do for us!
What we wear, eat and own. Where we live, work, and visit. Who we see, and associate with, What music, movies, magazines, and TV shows we see etc.
Its all buffering... just like the people traveling around in their huge RVs.

And, I believe that "that stuff in life" that we dont like; that we are buffering away; is some of the best stuff for us to "grow" through. If we are really paying attention, then experiences that challenge us and trigger our dislikes and fears can show us a great deal about our selves and we become better for that knowledge - though we still wont enjoy those experiences - so what Im suggesting is completely different to "masochisme" :)
But I also think that our "buffering" is depriving us of a huge number of really great and enjoyable experiences too... We buffer them out because they fit into the "I dont know about that" category... so, I may not like it... so I wont do it!... We eliminate the unknown, and avoid anything outside our "comfort zone"... and that is a real shame.

Thats exactly the experiences and opportunities that I very deliberately decided to "re-engage with" when I started riding my motorbike on long tours. And so far its been "Absolutely Fantastic"!
Sure there have been some unpleasant things that I would choose to avoid in the future, but "avoiding the unknown just because its unknown and something bad might happen", well, thats been shown to be "complete bunk"! from my perspective :)

And thats why I believe interacting with the world with as little buffering as possible gives us more opportunity to grow and really be "better people".

And, thats more or less it in a "nut-shell" :))


Now of course, this "theory" about "how to live ones life!" could easily be viewed as "completely selfish" and that its just the sort of thing someone as privileged as me would think up...

Perhaps thats so, but I dont think so.
I believe that being open to experiences, pleasant and unpleasant, as they come by, and paying attention, is achievable (though not necessarily easily) by anyone, living any life. And I believe that striving to be a better person, in what ever way that means to each of us, is a worthy way to live ones life and really does make the world a better place.


You however, can of course decide what you think as you will!


... and thats enough of my "fru fru" theories for today :)
so, I guess Ill try to define what "things" I think makes me more "ME" in another post...