The Good Life

In Leider and Shapiro’s, Repacking Your Bags, they suggest that we write, in a single sentence, our own description what would constitute The Good Life. I thought it sounded like a good idea, so I made the following attempt. I acknowledge that I have written a long and complex sentence and used some abstract concepts and terms. I saw no other way to get it into one sentence. The good life--as I see it and can, in one sentence, express it–is one that is: “The good life--as I see it and can, in one sentence, express it–is one led by the Holy Spirit, at peace with God, the world, and themselves, and is melodiously, harmoniously, and with dynamic rhythm loving those whom and working with that which they have found to be their appropriate others.” What follows is a brief commentary on the statement. • led by the Holy Spirit, Apart from attunement with the creator of the universe, and following his–the conductor’s–lead, a truly good life cannot be found. • at peace with God, the world, and our self, and is The good life never comes until we actually accept–heart, mind, body, and soul–God’s ways; that the world is like it is; that we are who and how we are. • melodiously, harmoniously, and with dynamic rhythm Our life must develop and follow a line that has meaning; it must blend appropriately with all we touch; it must have a pulse: systole/diastole, ebb and flow, activity and dormancy, something that gives it a measure of regularity, but flexible enough to modulate the music of our life in the evolving ways our love and work calls for. • loving those whom and working with that which Freud correctly said that the good life consists of love and work. We must have both. • the person has found to be their appropriate others. We actively love everyone. Love takes time and makes demands. Led by the Spirit, and patiently allowing time for development, we will come to see that those we can and should truly love will be clearly disclosed to us. Similarly, we must have tasks that have meaning, that bring joy, and that are fitted to our ability to perform them. Here again, the work that is ours to do will sort itself out only as we patiently adjust to life’s change. Our appropriate others are long-term commitments, but some will find fulfilment and completion and be followed, sometimes surprisingly, by new appropriate others. Some of our others will be appropriate for the remainder of our good life. ________________________________ Such would be a life of peace and joy. Stated differently, it would be a most satisfying and enjoyable way to live.