As I was doing my reflection this morning, I was pondering what life is all about and thought about the famous words of Socrates, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”
Are we taking the time to examine our life at a deep level?
It dawned on me that many of us live on autopilot. We wake up each morning after the alarm goes off, we prepare our coffee, get dressed, and we head to work. Many of us just go through the motions.
Once we get to work, we take care of our tasks throughout the day in an automatic fashion instead of thinking, instead of planning, instead of having a goal with meaning, instead of doing things with a purpose. Making a phone call with a purpose. Writing a report with a purpose. Talking to our loved one with a purpose.
Moreover, we may even want to start being more mindful when we are having lunch or dinner. Because… sometimes we just eat and before we realize it, the food is gone and we wonder: Where did it go?
The same thing happens with life. We may realize one day we just ate all the food off our plate and… we may ask ourselves:
• Where did it all go?
• What did I do with it?
• How did I spend my time?
• Did I spend it complaining or enjoying it?
• Did I spend my time loving or fighting?
• Did I spend my time helping or hurting others?
• Did I spend my time getting to know myself or ignoring my needs?
• Did I spend my time being grateful or regretting?
• What have I done with my time?
It is when we come to such realizations that we gain more awareness of what life is all about. This realization may happen during a pivotal moment in our lives, or when confronting a huge loss. It is at that moment that we make choices. We can either dwell on the pain or transform it into an opportunity to grow, to find more meaning, to become a better version of ourselves.
People have asked me, when they know the title of my book “Transform Your Loss”, Ligia, how can we transform a loss? I respond that it all starts with our response to the loss. We cannot avoid experiencing grief, it is the natural response to loss. Still, many times it is that pain, that loss, what will help us open our eyes to other possibilities; open our eyes to what is important; open our eyes to ask ourselves “What am I doing? Where am I now and where do I want to go?” Because tomorrow will be the result of the choices we make today.
It is not possible to live wandering around expecting tomorrow to be bright. It is not possible just to allow things to come into our lives – we need to make them happen. This reminds me of the words of my father, Julio C. Martínez: Success is hard work disguised as good luck.
Sometimes things happen out of luck, but most of the things we get in life at all levels – physical, social, emotional, financial, or spiritual – depend on the actions we take.
They depend on our choices.
Remember….your life has meaning!
Have a beautiful day!
Ligia M. Houben
