Sometimes old paradigms of living clearly don't foster the good living you want. I thought of this today as a paradigm I was holding tight to clearly crumbled. What I thought existed, exists mostly in my imagination and memories of the past. That paradigm, for better or worse, has passed.
As I thought of my attempts to reclaim the structure that once existed, I realized that I was mostly unsuccessful--clearly, it's time to think anew and replace that delapdated with something new. In a sense, it's like putting on your old favorite dress and recognizing that it's not longer suitable for a special occassion--the dress no longer fits and is covered with holes, rips, and stains. Time for a new dress.
So, as I sought to replace the broken down paradigm I relied on and valued for so long, I thought about life's menu--the incredible list of satisfying people, events, and elements that create good living. By replacing old, outdated mindsets, activities, and objects with new, invigorating mindsets, activities, and objects, the sadness we may feel about lost past traditions will be mitigated.
What's on the list that draws me?
There's lots on the list including gardening, outdoor adventures of all kinds, the arts, writing, reading, film, entertaining, helping, creating, cooking, and contribution.
By consulting life's menu, we can recreate the paradigms we love and live by to make those structures more meaningful, timely, and satisfactory. That's a topic I'll think more on today as I strive to replace the dilapidated paradigms that exist with brighter, more fulfilling new lifeways. Onward.