Page 26 - Seniorstoday July 2024 Issue

to that trip with friends, to an adventure meditating put us in a state where our
when it presents itself. We can’t live an
exciting life if we keep saying ‘no’.
When we shake up the routine a bit, it
makes us see things differently. Why not
be a tourist in our town, and discover
interesting local hot spots - a local place of
worship, a new neighbourhood with little
lanes that meander into undiscovered
spots, explore those small unpretentious
never- eaten- in restaurants? Wonder and
wander!
Listen to different genres of music.
Even if we don’t always understand, try
listening to new and interesting music,
the new pop and rock, Taylor Swift, and
Coldplay. This has the added advantage
of engaging with grandchildren over
something they love. We can be ‘cool’
grandparents.
Let’s celebrate our eccentricities, our
creative fantasies, do something out of its
regular order so we can live our life and
forget our age. As Cher said, “We live in a
youth-obsessed culture that is constantly
trying to tell us that if we are not young,
and we’re not glowing, and we’re not
hot, that we don’t matter. I refuse to let a
system or a culture or a distorted view of
reality tell me that I don’t matter. I know
that only by owning who and what you
are can you start to step into the fullness
of life. Some guy said to me: ‘Don’t you
think you’re too old to sing and rock n’
roll?’ I said: ‘You’d better check with Mick
Jagger’.”
To be peaceful, full of joy and not letting
the daily irritations of life trouble and
unsettle us, we need to develop a spiritual
connection with something greater than
ourselves. It can be a search for meaning,
a higher purpose in life, connection to
humanity and nature. Chanting, praying,
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body and mind are consciously relaxed
and focused. And therefore, create more
space within us to fill our lives with the
new, the exciting and the little scary.
Vipassana scares me. Being in silence
for days, without the crutch of books is a
daunting prospect and I resolve to try it!
In our bustling, often bewildering world,
we find comfort in the light-hearted yet
deep wisdom of those who’ve explored
life’s mysteries.
“Meditation: Because some answers can
only be found on the inner net.”
I love this clever and funny meditation
quote. With every encyclopaedia and
dictionary just a Google search away,
it’s important to remember that the most
significant answers can only be found
within.
Dare to live the life you’ve always
wanted; dare to explore the near and the
far and the in between; dare to explore the
inner world of the self and outer world
of people and places. As Ansel Adams,
that great photographer said, “In wisdom
gathered over time I have found that every
experience is a form of exploration.” Step
into the unknown, allow the unexpected
to happen, live unhindered by fear and
self-imposed limitations, and be fearless
in the pursuit of “what sets your soul on
fire” Forget the rules, and just do whatever
makes you happy. Life is for living, so live it
loud and proud. Just be sure you don’t hurt
yourself or anyone else in the process. As
the wise writer Emile Zola said, “If you ask
me what I came into this life to do, I will tell
you: I came to live out loud.”
“Forget your voice, sing!
Forget your feet, dance!
Forget your life, live!
Forget yourself and be!”