“Are we human doings or human beings?” This is a question raised by author, lecturer and spiritual guru, Dr. Deepak Chopra. From the minute we open our eyes each day, we’re on the go—things to do, people to see, places to go. Listening to the news as we shave, putting on make-up while driving to work, eating lunch at a staff meeting, talking on our cell phone at the little league game. Being busy validates our existence. Multi- tasking seems to be the modern-day philosophy. We can’t wait to finish one thing so we can start the next. 

One day runs into the next, one week runs into another. Before you know it another year has passed. Where does the time go? Don’t get me wrong. I’m in favor of achievement and living life to its fullest potential. But there is more to living than being busy. By becoming aware of your natural state of being, as described in meditation, you can bring that experience into your everyday activities. 

It is in the being—not just the doing—that you can reveal your true self that hides beneath the doing. You can experience your genius self, your loving self, your appreciating self, your wonderful self who doesn’t always have to take himself so seriously. You may even stop identifying yourself by what you earn, where you live, what you do, and what you have. 

Part of this “being” idea is to stay in touch with who you are while “doing.” This conscious awareness of who you really are can lend another dimension to everything you do. Instead of being swallowed up by the stresses of life, your sense of being can bring a calming perspective. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, your sense of being can help you maintain balance. Even your enjoyable experiences, such as watching a spectacular sunset or working in the garden can be enhanced. 

As a human “being,” you can see yourself not as a mundane “do-er” in life but as a pure child of God, here to experience the wonderful connection to our Source.

“It’s a long life.” There are two basic ways of looking at that statement. One, life seems likes it’s getting longer and longer. Technology, nutrition and medical science continue to advance, pushing the average life span further out. It seems like a tough road to make it all the way. Or two, we have plenty of time to embark on as many journeys as it takes to live the life of our dreams. We have many chances to start over, new opportunities to reset our goals and more possibilities to change our legacy. 

You may believe that you had a lousy childhood. As you become a parent you have the chance to be the parent you thought you should have had. Maybe you feel bad about the way you raised your kids. Now that your children are grown, you can make up for lost time by offering loving support in their choices as adults and when they become parents. Grandparenting is another chance to love unconditionally. Another opportunity to start over is after the kids are grown and out of the house. You can reconnect with your spouse with a new sense of appreciation. If you feel that life is passing you by, then it probably is! You can fret about lost opportunities, chastising yourself for living a life of little consequence. You could live each day going through the motions in a joyless fashion, thinking up excuses for why your life has turned out the way it has, or you can listen to the wake-up call! Jump on board “the passing life” and start living it! Make choices that move you into the direction of a more fulfilling life. You don’t need to wait for a milestone event such as a birth, a marriage, or even a death, to get you thinking about your legacy. Start thinking about it now! Someone once said, “The definition of old age is when regrets take the place of dreams!” 

Let’s say you’ve reached a ripe old age, now what? Challenges may arise as you lose the ability to do the things you used to do when you were young. It takes a lot of humility to age gracefully. Don’t fall into the trap of getting discouraged and disheartened by the aging process. The true opportunity of “the golden years” is that it can be a time of enlightenment, appreciation and graceful being. 

As you reach this stage in life, develop some new strategies for maintaining a positive outlook. The same principles of happiness exist in old age more vigorous days. Live by  the “golden rule” and don’t take yourself so seriously. True growth comes in seeking out opportunities to brighten up the lives of others even as your own light fades. Rise above the challenges of aging by deflecting your conversations away from complaints. Wisdom lies more in listening to and supporting those around you than any words you might say. 

Shine the light on others as you age and you will see the joy of living a long life.

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “You are a creature of habit.” Maybe you’ve said it yourself. Another common phrase is, “That’s the way I’ve always done it!” 

What makes us do the things we do? Why do we react to situations the way we do? Sometimes we use the excuses listed above. Sometimes we try to pin our reactions on our heredity or on our environment—that age old paradigm. 

My contention is that all these ideas are merely excuses that we use to defend our mediocrity and shortcomings. Certainly, we have a genetic make-up. We were brought up with certain value systems. It seems that these value systems make us think we can’t change. It is our tendency to react to situations the way we have reacted in the past. 

Let me suggest to you that there is another way to look at this. We experience a circumstance (a stimulus) and we react to that circumstance either in thought or deed (a response). Our life is a series of stimuli and responses. Often there is no thought at all given to the situation. There is no gap between the stimulus and the response. Something happens and we react. Often we react the way we always have because we are creatures of habit. We give absolutely no thought whatsoever to our response. We just react. 

As with so many things in our life, there is another way of doing things, another way to look at things. We can, if we intend to do so, notice the stimulus as it happens. As we notice the stimulus happening, a small gap occurs. That gap allows a space for us to react differently from the way we always have reacted. That small gap gives us a chance to consider our choices in dealing with the stimulus. We can consider how we want to react to that circumstance. Our response can now come from a place of heightened consciousness, not experienced when we simply react as creatures of habit. We may still offer the same response we have in the past, but now we realize that it is a conscious choice rather than an uncontrolled act. As we deal with the feelings that result from our chosen response, we have the opportunity to notice how we feel. We then have another choice to make. Am I happy with the way I responded? Or could I have handled the situation better and felt better about myself? That consciousness is an awareness of what is happening as it happens. Some would say it is living in the moment. This consciousness gives us the opportunity to choose a response. 

Developing this consciousness requires the intention to do so. It does require practice. That practice involves the effort to notice ourselves as we respond to stimulus after stimulus throughout our day. 

You can choose peace in your responses. You can choose to be kind. You can choose to be compassionate. The point is: you get to choose. You are a creature of habit either because you want to be or because you don’t know any better. Now you know better!