What scares me the most about life...

[The Sum of Awe]

Rare but achievable. Just do your duty and don't get involved in life more than that. Attachment (Asakti) brings the feeling of being unfulfilled.

How do you know what your duty is?

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Let us say a big ''thank you'' to all abrahamic religions for this result. My friend, you've reached a dead end. Now what are you going to do?

What do the abrahamic religions have to do with it?

What am I going to do at this dead end? Move on, live my life, learn from my mistakes. That's the only thing I can do.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I, personally, think it's a mistake to look at life as something you're supposed to try and "win" at. Something that we're supposed to get as much as we can out of, or give as much as we can, too. I just don't see living is as being a 'quantity' or value acquisition issue. I see it more as a quality of response issue. The gift of my being here comes without orders, or instructions for use. So my life becomes defined and determined by how I am choosing to respond to this gift. If I find myself being unhappy, then clearly I am not responding well. And I should probably change my response unless I lije being unhappy. And when I get to the end, and if I can see it coming, then all I will regret is that the gift is being discontinued. But even then, I could still choose to respond otherwise, and be grateful for what I've been given.

Yes, but at the same time I personally feel there should be a little struggle, a little effort to "win" something - to achieve a more quality life. If I wanted to simply be at peace all the time I would just stay in my comfort zone and not accomplish anything. We need to move from our comfort zone, have goals, work towards something, and inevitably that will sometimes lead to unhappiness. But, like you said, it's all about how you respond to the unhappiness.

 

[syo]

What do the abrahamic religions have to do with it?

They are nutcases.

 

[Twilight Hue]

is that there isn't necessarily a happy ending regardless of how morally you've lived and how much effort you put into your goals. I think it's actually rare to die without regrets or without feeling unfulfilled.

All we can do is play our cards the best we can and in the end, whether we win or lose, at least we can be proud of being competitive. And in the end it was all a game anyways, (or a joke, or a song...) maybe we just need to understand it wasn't meant to be taken seriously and at least we got to play.

I think what scares me the most is perpetuity. That new form once the lights come on like this life did. Who I'm going to be, where will I be, and will my next environment be heavenish or hellish?

But that said, I figure that may or may not be the issue best suited for the 'next whatever' and not 'me'.

 

[Twilight Hue]

They are nutcases.

When you have people ....like this.

Hard to argue that point!

 

[Trailblazer]

Alternatively, I can picture myself 27 quadrillion years from now, continuing on in my eternal life. I've mastered every musical instrument I care to, played every board game out to every permutation, had conversations on every topic that interests me ad nauseum, read every book I can stand to read, etc etc. I'm just left sitting there, bored out of my eternal mind with no more curiosity, and no further desire beyond a fervent wish for it all to end. But I just keep on living. Forever. Each new second an inexorable, worthless extension of suffering. Yuck!

How do you know eternal life will be like that?
I don't think anyone knows what it will be like...... except those who are living it.

 

[Trailblazer]

What am I going to do at this dead end? Move on, live my life, learn from my mistakes. That's the only thing I can do.

I also feel I hit a dead end and I don't know where I can go from here. I think the only thing we can do is learn from what happened and then try to move on since we cannot turn back the clock.

 

[Aupmanyav]

How do you know what your duty is?

Take care of your famiiy, society and country. I have a short description of duty from my books:
"Paropakarm Punyaya, papaya parapeedanam." (To help others is merit, to pain others is sin)

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Take care of your famiiy, society and country. I have a short description of duty from my books:
Paropakarm Punyaya, papaya parapeedanam. (To help others is merit, to pain others is sin)

Hmm. What is your opinion of myself being the center of my life (and of course if I do have a family one day I'll put them before me)? I never cause pain to others and will help someone if I see that they need help.

 

[Trailblazer]

Hmm. What is your opinion of myself being the center of my life (and of course if I do have a family one day I'll put them before me)? I never cause pain to others and will help someone if I see that they need help.

I am sure you would take care of your family if you had a family.
You cannot take care of a family you do not have. I am in the same position. I am the center of my life, but not by choice.

 

[stvdv]

I think it's actually rare to die without

I has no regrets

without feeling unfulfilled

Nor feeling unfulfilled

 

[Wildswanderer]

is that there isn't necessarily a happy ending regardless of how morally you've lived and how much effort you put into your goals. I think it's actually rare to die without regrets or without feeling unfulfilled.

All we can do is play our cards the best we can and in the end, whether we win or lose, at least we can be proud of being competitive. And in the end it was all a game anyways, (or a joke, or a song...) maybe we just need to understand it wasn't meant to be taken seriously and at least we got to play.

Well of course we aren't guaranteed a happy ending... Most people experience pain and grief and loss in life, that's a given. .. but this life isn't really the end.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I has no regrets


Nor feeling unfulfilled

How did you accomplish such a feat?

 

[stvdv]

How did you accomplish such a feat?

Sai Baba's Grace, not my accomplishment

 

[muhammad_isa]

Alternatively, I can picture myself 27 quadrillion years from now, continuing on in my eternal life. I've mastered every musical instrument I care to, played every board game out to every permutation, had conversations on every topic that interests me ad nauseum, read every book I can stand to read, etc etc. I'm just left sitting there, bored out of my eternal mind with no more curiosity, and no further desire beyond a fervent wish for it all to end. But I just keep on living. Forever. Each new second an inexorable, worthless extension of suffering. Yuck!

No .. it's not like that at all.
You describe a scenario more like hell than paradise.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

At 87 I am getting towards the back end of my journey.
There never is a time to have regrets. Things can not always go your way. Not every one is ambitious. I never was.
I was far more interested in a quiet life and enjoying what I did.
I had my own home and food on the table. Wife and kids. And now grown up grand kids.

The journey of our family is now down to them. One is some sort of designer in Sweden one a police man, one a teacher and the youngest is a qualified, but still training, as a lawyer.
I have always been somewhat lacking in social skills and insular. But that never stopped me speaking out in the work place, or managing other staff. I am one of those people that seems to be known by far more people than I know. I was good at my job, and knew when to wait out a bad situation or setback, and when to push ahead.
I always believed in the best in others, until proved otherwise. As a manager I had learned that it is always better to offer answers to problems, than to just pass problems upward. Even when they were above your pay grade.

I was like millions of others, I just got on with things, but always knew the right time to move on.
One set back took me nearly three years to resolve, it was worth the wait and the effort. (a person problem way above my pay grade.)

Most major problems in life relate to relationships and other people's ambitions.
Most success comes from planning, hard work, know how and contacts. Nothing can be done in a vacuum.
Nothing guarantees happiness all the time. we all have misfortunes.

I made my last major shift in direction at 55, people were some what surprised. It involved a move of a few hundred miles and a new job. They needed me, and I saw a gap in my future coming up, if I stayed where I was. It was a win win.
Which was almost certainly true, as the company that I had worked for, was broken up and the parts taken over three years later.

There are always opportunities, the difficult part is recognising them. Most change and decision making, involves some risk.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

At 87 I am getting towards the back end of my journey.
There never is a time to have regrets. Things can not always go your way. Not every one is ambitious. I never was.
I was far more interested in a quiet life and enjoying what I did.
I had my own home and food on the table. Wife and kids. And now grown up grand kids.

The journey of our family is now down to them. One is some sort of designer in Sweden one a police man, one a teacher and the youngest is a qualified, but still training, as a lawyer.
I have always been somewhat lacking in social skills and insular. But that never stopped me speaking out in the work place, or managing other staff. I am one of those people that seems to be known by far more people than I know. I was good at my job, and knew when to wait out a bad situation or setback, and when to push ahead.
I always believed in the best in others, until proved otherwise. As a manager I had learned that it is always better to offer answers to problems, than to just pass problems upward. Even when they were above your pay grade.

I was like millions of others, I just got on with things, but always knew the right time to move on.
One set back took me nearly three years to resolve, it was worth the wait and the effort. (a person problem way above my pay grade.)

Most major problems in life relate to relationships and other people's ambitions.
Most success comes from planning, hard work, know how and contacts. Nothing can be done in a vacuum.
Nothing guarantees happiness all the time. we all have misfortunes.

I made my last major shift in direction at 55, people were some what surprised. It involved a move of a few hundred miles and a new job. They needed me, and I saw a gap in my future coming up, if I stayed where I was. It was a win win.
Which was almost certainly true, as the company that I had worked for, was broken up and the parts taken over three years later.

There are always opportunities, the difficult part is recognising them. Most change and decision making, involves some risk.

It sounds like you've been through quite a journey and discovered many wisdoms! Wonderful advice and points that you made here.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Hmm. What is your opinion of myself being the center of my life (and of course if I do have a family one day I'll put them before me)? I never cause pain to others and will help someone if I see that they need help.

Why do you want to be at the center of your life? That is ego. Nice sentence at the end, I appreciate.

 

[Mock Turtle]

is that there isn't necessarily a happy ending regardless of how morally you've lived and how much effort you put into your goals. I think it's actually rare to die without regrets or without feeling unfulfilled.

All we can do is play our cards the best we can and in the end, whether we win or lose, at least we can be proud of being competitive. And in the end it was all a game anyways, (or a joke, or a song...) maybe we just need to understand it wasn't meant to be taken seriously and at least we got to play.

I tend to agree, in that most people will have had some regrets at the end of their lives, and it will be very few who do not have any such. I certainly have plenty, but they are history and not to be dragged about all the time. I have had many achievements and enjoyable experiences - probably more so than the bad - and have enjoyed so many friendships over the years. As to competition - not so much - given I probably find myself equally doing little regarding competing against others as in 'perfecting' myself.