The Good Life

Crossing the state boundary from South Dakota back into Nebraska, the familiar green road sign stood watch over the state line: “NEBRASKA…the good life”. During much of the rest of the drive home, the slogan washed around inside my mind.

The measuring stick of words and deeds is the love that is left when we’re gone. These may manifest in our lives as a longing for justice; ecologically friendly lifestyle choices; working towards solutions on social problems; cultivating generosity; and advocating for powerless people in society. These might be expressed in career choices, community or charity work, or simply being a caring person filled with loving-kindness.

To live a good life is subjective; it does not require anyone to move to Nebraska nor anywhere else in particular. One can live in Nebraska and have a miserable existence or a satisfying life–it’s up to the individual to judge. The good life usually encompasses the desire to stretch the mind and learn about different things. The ability to perceive beauty in everything is one key. Self-education and meditation are other keys.

To befriend at least one person who possesses admirable qualities is helpful in the journey of a good life. To be close to someone who encourages us to participate in whatever is important to us is a blessing. To have such a friend or significant other who makes us laugh and feel joyful is a bonus worthy of much gratitude. Whether or not one has such an acquaintance, the belief that one’s life is worth living is a catalyst to the good life.

“To live is the rarest thing in the world; most people just exist.–Oscar Wilde

Wilde brings up an existential point. It seems that our default mode of behavior is a matter of just going through the motions. We wake up; do some sort of labor; watch some type of entertainment; go to bed; and wake up again to endlessly repeat. We exist to live life on the weekends and vacations if we’re lucky. To blindly live in this manner will cause life to pass by in a foggy blur. Although life in contemporary society requires obligatory work we still have the option of setting aside several moments of each day to take breaks from the darkness of routine so that we can refocus upon uplifting thoughts and the light of the Universe.

There is a popular meme that many people have promoted that I also like. “You’ve got to dance like nobody is watching; sing like nobody is listening; love like you will never be hurt; and live like life is paradise on Earth.” In the end, we’re mainly answerable to ourselves, so why not act like it?

“What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?”–19th century English writer Mary Ann Evans, aka George Eliot

It has been said by many and practiced by fewer that our time is limited so we are wise not to live someone else’s life. It behooves us not to allow the noise of other people’s opinions drown out our unique, inner voices. One must be watchful of the trap of dogma–which is the distillation of other people’s opinions. Be careful and skeptical of what we choose to believe. Everything is secondary to building the courage to follow your heart and strengthen one’s integrity.

Namaste

The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes John F. Kennedy. “Once you say you’re going to settle for second, that’s what happens to you in life.”