So here's this thing called "my life;" "your life;" OUR collective lives.
We're all merrily going along, trying to make something of it that perhaps feels meaningful, successful or whatever else motivates us.
But just what is it we're striving for?
Moreover — where did the roots of what we're striving for come from?
Are we trying to create something illusory from the pages of a magazine or the scenes of a movie? Or are we trying to recreate a world based primarily on the happiest moments of our childhoods and adult lives to date?
This morning, I found myself standing in our vegetable garden, having a moment of recognition of the way so many things that give me moments of joy in my adult life tend to be "updated versions" of positively memorable moments from a childhood that mostly lacked such things.
I looked around, and realized that where we live in so many ways resembles the house where I spent the best moments of my childhood; right down t the vegetable garden, the view of the sea, the local climate here.
Running FROM... or Running TOWARDS?
It's a popular notion in the mental health professions that many of us are "running from something" and generally fall victim to the old truism "Wherever you go, there you are!" Meaning, of course, that if you are trying to "run away" from a pervasive tendency to be unhappy, or make poor choices... you might end up with new geography but you'll likely still have the same old issues.
I got to thinking about that in the context of having moved to where we now live, back in 2006.
By the time I moved here, I had "processed all my shit" to the point where I was no longer running away from myself; I was running to something; to a better life that reminded me more of the really good touchpoints from my youth.
Even this seaside town we live in reminds me somewhat of the seaside town about six miles from my auntie's house where I spent a lot time during my formative years.
What Our Subconscious Knows
When you're no longer trying to run away from something, your subconscious evidently draws on healthier "resources," even if we're not aware of it.
Without really trying, I am more than 5,000 miles (8,000km) from where I grew up, "coincidentally" living in a town of about 10,000, on a peninsula with water on three sides, with a ferry across the sound to another peninsula, at very nearly the same latitude, even situated on almost identical ice age clay and sand hills.
Was I consciously aware that I "recreated" this?
Not exactly. What I was consciously aware of was acting on what "felt right" in my gut, independently of what a lot of other people thought would be "in my best interest."
15 years later, I am grateful for my choices, and very content to be where I am. And I suppose that's all we can really ask...
Thanks for reading, and have a great remainder of your week!
How about YOU? What was the "template" you used to create your life? Do you feel like you are where you are supposed to be? Looking back on your life, have you tended to run AWAY from what you didn't want, or TOWARDS what you DO want? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!
Greetings bloggers and social content creators! This article was created via PeakD, a blogging application that's part of the Hive Social Content Experience. If you're a blogger, writer, poet, artist, vlogger, musician or other creative content wizard, come join us! Hive is a little "different" because it's not run by a "company;" it operates via the consensus of its users and your content can't be banned, censored, taken down or demonetized. And that COUNTS for something, in these uncertain times! So if you're ready for the next generation of social content where YOU retain ownership and control, come by and learn about Hive and make an account!
Proud member of the Lifestyle Lounge Community on Hive!
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly and uniquely for this platform — NOT cross posted anywhere else!)
Created at 20210802 23:40 PDT
0313/1556