Respice Finem

I've been reading much more lately than I typically do. A few blogs of note and many books. This signifies a massive shift in the symmetry of my life. I believe there are forces in which their gravitational pull are re-centering my life.

This pull began to shift at the end of October when my hours at work started to increase out of necessity. Without details this continued straight through to the end of the year at which point I forced myself to start finding intellectually stimulating sources outside of warehousing and logistics, my trade, as a simple means of escape without thought to its end.

This is where two blogs of note and a very peculiar book came into play. The first blog is The Brain Bucket, a blog on business acumen from the unique perspective of a biker. His thoughts, stated clearly as his opinion, are provoking enough to not only beckon the question "Am I doing business the best way possible?" but also, "Am I living life the best way possible?"

Read his recent post about Vendor vs. Partner and attribute the same thoughts to friendships and the quality of the relationship and see if it provokes an understanding "hmm..." from you. I can't imagine Dwain had that in the back of his mind as he was formulating his words, but nonetheless it's what was evoked.

The second blog is Motorcycle Everything, another Oregon blog whose post earlier tonight regarding thawing from winter triggered my 1,001 reasons to explain why my winter projects are not yet completed. Again, probably written from the perspective that its already February and here in Oregon many bikers just missed 5 of the clearest days of riding we'll see before the end of July. A gentle reminder that some of us still have much work to do through the spring. Now, I am a soul whom is comfortable in small progress consistently, and find it easier to attain and more rewarding on a regular basis than much progress seldom. And I'm also of the opinion that much progress consistently can not sustain a quality life.

Those the two blogs of note, and this the book: Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values has presented itself as just that; an inquiry.

If you take these three literary units and put them together, a pattern develops before me. Or questions rather.

Am I doing life the best way?
Am I accomplishing what I set out to do?
Do these align with my values?

The inquiry Pirsig's book so ravenously explores within my mind is that before I can answer: Am I doing life the best way? and am I accomplishing what I set out to do? Or even if answered before I can start aligning them with anything I must first answer: what do I value?

If what do I value? is answered with money, wealth, status, and pride as opposed to joy, hard work, friendship, and community it will significantly impact the answers to the first two questions. Now, I must be clear in stating that no where in this thought pattern has a judgement been called as to witch values are of higher quality or more worthy of living for. I know great men and women whom value vastly varying things whom make positive impacts in their families and communities. This is simply the question that must be answered first to start this mechanism in motion.

For me the answers are beginning to form. It's unclear yet how they will settle in finality, and perhaps it's incorrect to assume that they ever will settle or finalize.

What is clear though is that each one is evoking change in my thought and life. Some how the forces enacted by asking these questions are causing a realignment, a shift, a re-centering and symmetry of such a calming and secure nature I didn't know existed.

It's subtly changing the way I walk through this world and is starting to get my mind wondering how each of you, my friends, are walking through this world and what such a vast array it must be.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]