Life, if well lived, is long enough. – Seneca
Would helping someone, and then getting this response from them, be fulfilling? If it happened often, would this help you feel that you had lived well?
What does that mean?
This quote is an answer to the eternal question: How long should a life be? Yes, we’d all like to think that we will live for a very long time, but one never knows when it will end. And that is the point of this quote, whatever we get is enough, if it is well lived.
If we live our lives “well,” the quote says, we will have lived long enough. That might not sound very comforting, but it is, in my opinion, a pretty good guideline for living what time we do have allotted to us. After all, what are our other options?
That, I believe, is what we should learn from this quote. By living our lives a fulfilling manner and living it well, whatever our time may be, it will have been long enough. The idea is to live so that we have no regrets, that we live as full and happy a life as we possibly can manage in the time allotted.
Why is living well important?
I suppose we could live our lives poorly, but where’s the fun in that? But in all seriousness, we try to live our lives, but we don’t always manage to plan them very well. That means we don’t always live our lives as well as we might want, as we scurry from emergency to emergency, or from chasing one temporary pleasure to the next.
Now the definition of “living well” will differ from person to person, and be influenced by values, associations, experiences, and culture (to name just a few influences). But the idea is to define for ourselves what we want in our lives, and how we plan to get there.
Remember, living well isn’t the same as living richly. Banquets every night will get you many friends, but most will disappear quickly if the banquets cease, right? Instead, it might be better to focus on the things which bring lasting satisfaction, and put our effort and energy there instead. That, to me, is living well.
Where can I apply this in my life?
Well, this quote is about your life, specifically how you chose to live it, so it applies to all of your life. Specifically, this quote is about living your life well, and to me, that means figuring out what kind of things you think will help you feel fulfilled.
Yes, the fancy things, and a lack of want for physical needs is nice, but is it something that will make you feel fulfilled? Or are there other needs which are better suited to helping you with that feeling? And not just right this moment, either.
That’s a trap to which many of us fall prey. It’s easy to say that this feels good, or that feels good, so let’s do more of it. Naps, eating, and many other activities which should be done in moderation can easily become immoderately practiced.
While it feels good right now, it rarely is something that leaves you feeling fulfilled. It’s also not terribly likely to be something you remember fondly while on your death-bed. You will be too busy remembering the things that left you feeling fulfilled, right?
Take some time and think of all the things you have done in the past which have left you with that warm-on-the-inside feeling. Go back a few years, or perhaps more than just a few years. Try to let those feelings flow, and enjoy them again for a few moments.
Grab some paper and write a few of the ones you really enjoyed, which left you feeling satisfied or fulfilled. What was it about each of these instances which left you with that great feeling? Write down a couple of reasons for each instance you listed.
With that in mind, think about all the things you have been planning on doing or thinking of doing that might give you the same feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment. Add them to the list. What about these things do you think will give you those same feelings? Write those down as well.
Take a look at your lists and try to figure out which of these you are going to add to your life on a regular basis, and which will be done less often. Don’t worry about trying to get it perfect, life is constantly changing, and the perfect of today will change by tomorrow.
When, where, how, and why will you do these things? If you don’t have good answers, you will find good excuses. While I’m sure you will all live long and happy lives, you never know, do you? Start sooner, rather than later, and focus on what is fulfilling.
Live your life well. Have few regrets, and have as much fun as you can stand. For in the end, we shall all eventually pass on. In the mean time, be well lived.
From: Twitter, @philo_quotes
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/luciusanna161918.html
Photo by the Italian voice
