Deep Living I’ve been frantically trying to figure out what I want to do next. What is my real passion, my “right livelihood”? It seems like by age 59 I should actually know , but it seems to have eluded me so far. This morning it came to me that my real passion is “deep living”. To be able to sit down, breathe, and to take actions that feel like they come from way down inside me somewhere. Not things that just float through my mind, or things that will fill the time until the next activity. Not stuff that I “should” do or “must” do. But things that will connect to my inner essence, that will make me feel alive and vibrant. Like I haven’t wasted that day or that moment. I know that this might make parts of me impatient. Some parts of me want to have goals, objectives and purpose. They want to do research and make progress. They even want to make changes in the world and have an impact. These parts look around and see how messed up things are, and they think that the way to change it is to have plans, strategies and organize people around a goal. They want to DO SOMETHING! These strategies and activities are great- if they come from one’s center. I can imagine doing all of those things later on. But for now, I want to just rest and listen. Listen for impulses, for what the world needs from me, for people I need to connect with and activities that will feed me. Then I can help to feed others. My parts are pretty much ok with this- for now. It would be good to have one firm direction to travel in instead of the myriad possibilities I tend to think of each day. I want to settle down and listen first. Then maybe my actions will have more purpose, meaning and depth. Shalom, Karen