230115 What I learned in my studies this morning 3

Fifty pieces of my soul, 

jockeying for position.
Time to sort them out. 

Thoughts:

Looking for new daily reads, I found one called 365 Days of Buddhist Wisdom by Cristo Lopez.  Seems like a good one, so far. I look forward to seeing what I can learn from it. 

What in my life is worth doing?  Raising my kids.  My relationship with my wife.  My philosophy.  My friends. 

What else?  Getting healthier.  But it seems this isn't right.  I've had countless opportunities to do better — exercising more, eating less, eating better — but, short bouts of optimistic and energetic action notwithstanding, I've not yet found the trigger which puts these efforts into the "worth doing" category.  If I had, I'd already be committed.  It may take a crisis to tip this one past the threshold.  Will it be too late? 

What else?  Work?  For me, work is a means to an end. I don't identify with my job. I'm a family man and philosopher first. My employment is merely what I do to allow me the freedom to pursue those ends.  I'm good at my job, and I enjoy it sometimes, but it's not who I am.

What else?  Finding time to spend with my ailing parents?  I've been doing this over the past several months, but I could do more.  Engaging with them, deepening my relationship with them, is both worthwhile and rewarding.  I will do more. This is one worth doing right.

Today's Meditation:

Today's Meditation II:

Today's Music:

Quatuor pour la fin du temps – Quartet for the End of Time 5: Louange à l'éternité de Jesus by Olivier Messiaen