Video- Jane Fonda Life’s Third Act
I’ve been examining my life since I was a kid. I was a pretty intense kid and fascinated and intrigued by my own origins once I truly understood what it meant to be adopted. In my late teens and early twenties, battling health problems and the loss of my beautiful high-school sweetheart Terry, my search for meaning kicked up a notch. It just had to make sense, or it was a cruel joke.
Over the years, I have been prone to over-examining. If all we do is examine, not much living gets done. But I really believe if we want to get the best from our life we need self-awareness even if it’s just a little. To build a road-map to show us where we’d like to be, it helps to know where we’ve been.
So, here are a couple of resources for a bit of examination.
Anyone who has read a few of my posts knows I am a huge fan of morning pages. I just wish I’d kept going when I first heard about them in 1997 or whatever.
Seriously!
Since I started again in early 2017 I’ve written a 500-page novel, a 40k first draft for Nanowrimo in April, almost daily blog since June, and a 60-page novella, among other things. I credit morning pages with quieting the incessant chatter in my head and this is probably the best part.
The concept of the Life review is new to me. This link takes you to the Very Well Mind website that my sister introduced me to and here’s one from health line. I also love Jordan Peterson’s self-authoring programme.
Going back through my old diaries as I work on writing my memoir, it has become blindingly clear that long before I was obsessed with the past (and writing about time-travel!) apparently I was obsessed with the future. How exhausting! I really don’t think anyone should read their old diaries!
When will the present be good enough for me?
Note to self; read Power of Now again!
I may be inclined to over-examine everything, but I am no slouch when it comes to daily action!
Christine – WOW you’ve been productive! I tried to comment on your changing course post from July 10 but found no reply box. Both of these are great posts. Certainly following you now! I can relate on SO MANY levels – love the concept of Sunk Costs (think I remember the term incorrectly) and the struggle with balancing examining life with living it! I’ve been toying with the idea of morning pages – and your progress since beginning them is astounding. I may really need to begin….
Oh do it Janet. It’s been an incredible year. I try to convince everyone to do it hahaha thanks for the feedback on the July 10 post. I’ll check it out.
Have you read The Artists Way?