Life Practices – The Examined Life

Traditional upbringing is mostly one of imposed conditioning and often too much unmindful distraction. For being taught to question and to think – deeply, carefully, honestly, and joyfully – about what makes life the fascinating experience it can and should be is generally not in the curriculum!  Yet, this is what “the examined life” can provide – a perspective, an understanding, and an appreciation for the wonder and potential of what life, and in particular your individual life, is about.

This is one practice that you will greatly and immeasurably benefit from when you make it into one.  How you go about this is of course up to you…and it is subject to evolving, changing, and continuously improving.

The one caveat here proffered is that life, as we know it, is truly a personal exploration of the mystery.  In other words, it cannot be passed off to someone else; while others may inform, incite, and inspire…still, they simply cannot do it for you.  Your culture, your cleric, your family, your friends, your heroes, your mentors…can only provide “grist for the mill.”  Your answers – and what you do with them – are necessarily yours.

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The examined life is about asking questions, sometimes the same ones over and over again.  Why repeat some of these questions?  Because the answers change over time, age, and context.  Some may be radical changes – a reward of discovery and insight.  But more often the answers evolve into richer, more nuanced, helpful, and even reassuring ones.

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The following are potential areas of inquiry in living an examined life. You’re likely to find the answers will enable you to manage and engage both the good times and the difficult ones that life inevitably presents:

Beliefs – formulating core beliefs and foundational concepts and principles to live by; building the framework for your worldview and paradigm (i.e., how the world works, and should or could work better…)

Spirituality – connection to the…   [Something greater than yourself…like the Universe, the Cosmos, the Creator, God, Humanity, etc]

Values – knowing what matters to you; these usually (and should) evolve and change as new ages and stages of life are lived…

Personal Development – a natural (and here meaning self-directed) kind of continuous self-improvement; involving the practice of discovery, endeavor, and achievement…all manifest in a maturing self-reliance and supportive engagement with others.

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