What really matters to you? Do you make time for that or do you give most of your time to people and events that matter more to others than you?
As I consider my life path and priorities, I am wondering if I make time for what really matters the most to me? How can I assess that?
I've been taking note of what brings me the most joy in life. Acknowledging that has helped me to carve out more time for those activities. I am also paying attention to what draws my time and attention. I have noticed that I find myself stealing time for what matters rather than making it a mainstay in my weekly schedule. Why?
Some of the activities I enjoy the most don't fit neatly into life's patterns or people's expectations--there's not a lot of support for these areas of my life. I have to carve out time myself for these pursuits. One of these unsupported areas is the ability to step into the lives of others via reading. I am reading my second autobiography in a week and I am recognizing that this is a genre that truly draws me in, informs my lifeways, and makes me think. I like getting an intimate look at how people live, the choices they make, and the feelings they have--this is a good way to think about my central question, What is good living?
Last week I read the story of a courageous, amiable, intelligent Polish man, Jack Mitus, whose life took him from a somewhat idyllic childhood in a Polish village to death defying experiences during World War II to medical school and practice in Scotland, England, and the USA. It was an amazing story, and one I'll return to again. My greatest take away was the evident ease, good cheer and holistic mindset this man brought to life--no matter whether the experiences were harrowing or peaceful, he brought a sense of curiosity, an open mind, and a good sense of balance and pragmatism to the situation.
And now, I'm stepping into the life of Caroline Kautsire's via her book, What Kind of Girl. I am fascinated with Caroline's descriptions of her relationships, spirit, interests and choices. In some ways, reading Caroline's book reminds me of my experience reading Jose Vilson's book, This is Not a Test, because while Caroline and Jose are generations younger than me and lived in very different places and cultures than me, there are some parallels with my life with regard to their curiosity, challenges, family relationships and drive. Like me, they are seekers and both became educators and writers.
Unlike Mitus' story and his medical career, the infrastructure of support and mentoring in the lives of Kautsire, Vilson, and myself were less established and supported thus creating more complexity with regard to the professional path. I want to explore this difference more and think about the implications this has on lives and society. When we don't create good professional mentoring and support do we hold the potential for optimal development and growth back? What if the field of education had the same supports and mentoring in place that Jack Mitus had? What if every child enjoyed a culture that greatly supported and provided children with a top notch education? Clearly Jack's village and family greatly supported his strong education foundation, yet we see in his book, that his classmates didn't necessarily enjoy the success and good living he eventually had--some made terrible choices during the war. There's lots to think about related to this.
I'm wondering where this question, What is a good life? will take me, and as I continue this path, I want to make more space for autobiography which will inform my journey. Onward.