Greetings
Thanks for taking a moment to read this month’s update. I hope you’re doing well. The photo above is from a walk in Kent Park on 21 Dec 2024.
Tracing Back With Gratitude
In times of reflection, I like to think about positive things in my life and trace back to when, where, and why they began. It helps for understanding and is an opportunity for gratitude. Most of the habits and practices I benefit from and enjoy today have roots back to when I was a young person: bicycle riding, walks in nature, photography, writing, nutritional mindfulness, regular exercise, meditation, reading books, minimalism, contentment with simplicity.
What surprises me is that I don’t have a dozen different teachers, coaches, mentors, or celebrities, who influenced my life. There were moments and experiences:
- Sticking the rear wheel of my bicycle tire in the Missouri River at the start of a bike ride across Iowa that would run over 300 miles to the Mississippi River.
- Walking through a park in Washington, D. C. with winding dirt trails and a canopy of trees that, to me, was what I imagined a rain forest might look like.
- Learning about photography with an Olympus Pen EE film camera that would use 35mm film to take half-frame photos, turning a single 36 exposure roll of film into 72 photos.
- Learning about “jogging” for the first time, and realizing I was winded at and out of shape on my first attempt. I would eventually run as far as 21 miles.
- Learning to be an enthusiastic writer, revising and refining my writings with one of the first word processing programs.
- Having my mind and outlook challenged and expanded by reading eclectic books like Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu.
- Meeting an Indian guru who taught me meditation when I was a young teenager.
There is a long list of these experiences where I have an image of a significant event in my life that sparked an interest in something good, and then many related experiences that followed.
There is one person who was present during every single one of the above mentioned significant life events: my father. Somehow, paradoxically, one of the busiest and most productive people I know, also had time for me and others.
There was a Zen-like simplicity, seemingly effortless, at suggesting a book to read, movie I might like, or a new activity. Yet these simple acts were very impactful.
There’s much to be grateful for, and as these experiences guide my own life, I look for ways to use the same kind of Zen-like simplicity to have a positive impact in the lives of people I know.
No New Year’s Resolution
When starting a new year, it is difficult not to reflect on possible changes for the year head. There is a lot of reinforcement around us for the practice of having New Year’s resolutions. I usually have some goals defined for the new year. However, this year, I decided to just wait and welcome whatever would come and let go of whatever would go.
A special offer on ebooks and audio books prompted me to think about reading as an alternative to social media — as task during break times, when resting the mind, or when waiting in line at the grocery store. I decided to choose some books that were life changing in my high school and college years. It’s been fun to read those books again after decades have passed, and see how they influenced my life.
The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu is one of the books. I’m reading and listening to the Stephen Mitchell translation. It’s a poetic book of teachings and wisdom. I plan to write about the book at some point. One of the general teachings in the book is about how having defined goals may cause us to overlook opportunities and experiences that were not on our list. Instead, being open to what unfolds will help a person broaden their awareness and experiences. That teaching is expanded on in the Tao Te Ching, and it fits with my approach to entering the new year without a specific list of plans.
WRITING TOPICS
I continue to expand on the topic reports found on the Resources For Life dot com website. The list can be found on the What’s New Page. Adding incrementally takes very little time since the post and related context are already present.
TECH WRITING
If you’re interested in the latest tech-related guides and articles I’ve posted, you can visit the Posts Page on the Iowa City Tech website.
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THANKS
Many thanks to all of you who keep in touch and provide support for the work I do.
Origins. For those of you who are new to these monthly personal updates, they began about 24 years ago out of a desire to share from my personal life about topics of lifeways (faith/philosophy), health, career, finances, relationships, effective living, and public interest efforts. This is based on the Life Map presented on the Resources For Life website. [View]