Today was the first day I hit the courtyard at my high school with an actual topic and questions on the white board: “The Good Life” was written across the top along with “What is the good life?” and “How can we achieve it?” were written beneath. Though my first forays into the student body were treated with skeptical looks (i.e. “why is this weird guy walking around with a sign and trying to talk to everyone?”), I think today they finally got the idea that I’m not going anywhere.
Student
responses surprised me. They ranged anywhere from silly to serious. The first
kid to say something reminded me how pervasively our media has distorted the
idea of “the good life” within our culture, because he immediately shouted out “Get
rich!” I didn’t pursue the conversation with him with regard to the second
question.
Another of
his friends, however, said that the good life is one where you have family and
friends. When I asked him how he could achieve this, he then said “by going
fishing all the time and not being hassled by taxes.” I didn’t quite make the
connection between the two, but he at least made the attempt.
Other
students mentioned some hallmarks of what anyone might consider the good life:
the company of loved ones; being able to accomplish personal goals; helping
other people in need; trying to leave the world a better place for the next generation;
getting an education; being employed in meaningful work.
What do you think? What is “the good life” to you? How will
you achieve this vision of the good life? How can we help others pursue their notion
of the good life? Is the good life something that is particular, or can it be universal?
How can we differentiate between those two extremes? How can previous
philosophers/people inform us to help construct an idea of the good life?
As always, please feel free to comment on these questions or
leave your own questions for others. I want to make this endeavor as interactive
as possible, so feel free to share on social media, too. Thanks for stopping
by!
I believe that a crucial part of the "good life" is definitely surrounding yourself with people who love you and believe in you. These people are the ones who will help you succeed in life.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. As we spoke about the other day, I believe relationships are critical for getting the most out of life and shaping meaning within it. It's funny that you mention success in your comment, Casey, because that's exactly what I wanted to talk about with the students at lunch today! Hopefully you'll have some insightful thoughts to share with regard to that topic, too.
DeleteI feel like if many of us stopped for a second to notice all the good things, and all the things we take for granted, we'd realize how close to our "good life" we already are. And each person's "good life" is more than likely different from the next person's. So I think answering the question about what the good life is, will all depend on the person defining it.
ReplyDeleteKorey, you are spot on with your assessment as far as I am concerned. Through my daily meditation practice, I have cultivated the ability to pay better attention to the world around me, especially the finer details that we often brush over in our daily existence. My personal transformation via yoga and meditation have brought me not only greater mental clarity, but a wholehearted appreciation for the simple pleasures of life. Whether it's a new sunrise, the sound of birdsong calling from the trees, to a simple act of service such as waking my wife with a cup of coffee every morning, I believe we can work toward achieving "the good life" through mindful living and, as you said, never taking life for granted.
DeleteThanks for checking in and offering your thoughts, Korey. Please be sure to come back again and help spread the word by sharing this site with friends.
I read a quote once that said "There is no better time to be happy than right now", Im a firm believer of that. So many of us are a lot closer to the good life than we realize. But people are always wishing and asking and wanting for more and for something different., and not to say that striving to be happier is a bad thing, but while wishing for more, we often miss what there already is to be happy about. simple things like a family and friends to love and who love us are enough to say we live a good life as it is. I think its good to have goals and to try to live a happy life as well as be sure to appreciate what there is to be happy about right now.
ReplyDelete*Applauds*
DeleteCouldn't have said it better myself, Marques. And, yes, you are absolutely right...learning to balance those two perspectives is key. Thanks for checking out the new blog and sharing your comment with others. Hope life has been treating you well, sir!
P.S. - You look so much more grown up than just a few short years ago when you moved. Eric tells me you're still producing beats/music. Keep pursuing your dreams!