Thursday, November 1, 2007

Contemplating my belly-button

It's November first! Where did the year go? I guess the saying is true that the older you get the faster the years fly by. I'm entering that time of year when I become introspective about a lot of things as I review the year gone by. I try to quiet myself in contemplative introspection (no, this is not yoga), so that I can hear a little more clearly in order to make the adjustments that I have found to be necessary for the journey I'm on.

I find this exercise to be incredibly productive as well as regenerative. You see I'm learning that, in order to successfully navigate through life's myriad pitfalls, I must learn to focus on my soul at least as much as I do my body. I really enjoy lifting weights and road biking (I actually bike an average of 100 miles a week). All too often though, I find myself giving more attention to these activities than I do to prayer and study. Sadly we live in a world that has learned to elevate the body and degrade the soul. We pamper our skins while we pollute our hearts. It appears that our values are completely reversed and our priorities are messed up.

That's why I feel the need to slow down and contemplate something other than my belly-button. It really helps me refocus on the real priorities in my life. So how do you take stock of your life? What do you do that makes you more successful at navigating lifes potential pitfall? Care to share?

2 comments:

Alison G. Altmayer said...

I really enjoyed this post of yours. As the year reaches the end I start, like you, thinking about goals, achievements, good and bad moments and also begin planning next year. What makes me sucessful in my personal life? Never losing focus, being grounded and positive, taking family and studies seriously, running and trying to stay as young as possible (without making a fool of myself).

Joseph said...

Alison, Thanks for sharing your success tips. I can really relate to the idea of trying to stay as young as possible without making a fool of myself.