What Are Your Current 5 HIGHEST PRIORITIES? --Ponderings

1) MAINTAINING MY RELATIONSHIPS (Wife, Family, Friends, Co-workers)
2) JOB (without it, well, don't want to think about it)
3) FUN (if you don't have fun on the weekends, not much point in working all week)
4) SIDE JOBS (we do cakes and murals on the side...more cakes lately it seems)...
5) STATE OF THE WORLD (and how it will affect me and my loved ones...may seem broad, but although in my top 5, is t he bottom of the list)...

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
1. My health (eating right, exercising, emotional health, etc.)

Wellllllllllllll, one has to have a certain minimal level of health to function!

Glad you included emotional health. It's amazing how many of my students are in a myriad of relationships where people they relate to frequently drag them down into cesspools of negativity--blaming, whining, accusing, !!!!DEMANDING!!!! etc.

God have mercy. Life is too short even when the earth is not rushing to hell in a handbasket!

2. My relationship, family and animals

Glad you see relationships, family and animals as such high priorities. Having a coronary because of a scratch on a red [why always red?] Ferarri sp? just doesn't impress me as a worthy priority at all. Of course, I'm a few $Zillion short of a Ferarri anyway. LOL.

3. Maintaining a life of security, happiness, love and prosperity

Crucial priorities, certainly. Though I saw plenty in Asia who had tons of happiness and love without a shred of security or prosperity.

It will be interesting to see how the USA handles those issues. If so few know how to love and be happy WHEN THEY HAVE VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING TO LOVE AND BE HAPPY OVER--it boggles my mind to imagine what they'll do on such scores WITHOUT all the props. Maybe they'll be forced to choose redemptive choices and focus when there's little else to choose but death and suffering.

4. Equal rights and treatment for all

I'd sure love to see that have some realistic chance. However, with the Powers That Be so hell-bound intent on shredding rights of all kinds . . . and reducing a much smaller population to serfdom and slavery . . . I'm not about to place bets on how soon we get there.

After armageddon, easy. Before then, impossible, imho.

5. Ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

Oh, they'll likely transmorgify that into WWIII with an attack on Iran. Gotta get the global population down to 200 million, don't ya know. At least that's what the lying ET's have convinced them of.

I just don't see wars ending until after Armageddon--literal Armageddon as predicted in Revelation etc.

However, we have chances to love--to actively love those we care for--day in and day out--let us do so while we may so easily.

Thanks for your fine list.

Originally posted by Raist

It is enough keeping these two things sorted out properly.

I look at other stuff from different angles but nothing is near as important as the two you listed. Everything else is just sort of entertainment in a way.

Raist

Hmmmmmmmm. An interesting point.

Plenty true. Yet, how many folks stay awake nights over silly 'entertainment' level issues?

WORSE, how many folks are emotionally, verbally or otherwise abusive to those who matter the most in their lives

OVER CHAFF! Over temporary, silly, shallow things?

Sometimes I feel like standing on a street corner and screaming something like:

LOVE LIKE YOUR LIVES DEPENDED ON IT--BECAUSE THEY DO!

Originally posted by Styki

1) Family/Relationships

YEA! GREAT HAVING THAT ONE SO HIGH. CONGRATS.

2) School - After my time in the military, I have found myself behind the power curve. On that note, being at the expected place in life at the right time does not mean much to me anymore. You gotta run your own race.

Well put, imho.

I did find it good to do my PhD AFTER my Navy 4 years. Perspectivev helps.

I'm not sure that today's college students have much of a clue. They seem to treat college--a means to better their lives--as kind of a shallow inconsequential lark--to be half-hearted and 1/4th diligent about.

What's with that?

ATTACHMENT DISORDER? Lack of discipline? Messed up priorities? All the above? Sigh.

3) Spirituality/life - I'm not looking for all the answers. I just try to better myself so I can be a positive influence for those around me. I have gone through just as many pitfalls as the next guy, if not more.

I'm not sure I think much of folks who can't or won't admit to a lot of failings. Besides, failure is a much better teacher than success, on average.

Growing up, many adults seemed to have the attitude that there weren't a lot of answers. I've found out that there are more than one might think if one knows how to ask good questions and look in good places--particularly talking to folks who've been through several long dark nights of the soul--at least one.

4) Party Time - I'm still young; I like to drink good beer and meet new people.

One of my BA program assignments was to go to a train station or a bar or a bus station and just observe and write about it. I chose a bar since I'd never been in one.

I'm not convinced that much relating or truly MEETING another soul goes on with much alcohol in the system. LOL.

And if my counseling clients are any clue--it's more the opposite that occurs--conflict, troubles, hurts, damage at the hand of alcohol in the system. Sadly.

I realize I may have a skewed sample.

5) Political trends/ related issues - I have been around long enough to see that certain things repeat themselves.

Those issues and trends sure seem all cocked and read to blow a lot of other issues out of the water. I hope folks are at least somewhat ready . . . as though one COULD be really ready for super disasters on every hand.

Ahhh well . . . at least in my construction on such realities, God will be showing HIMSELF in interesting ways during all that. Otherwise, I'd think that horror was all that was on offer.

Originally posted by muuuhahahaha
1. Maintaining and growing relationships with the significant individuals in my life.

GROWING relationships. CONGRATS. Seems to me that we are either GROWING THEM or killing them by bite sized chunks or worse.

2. Living a sustainable existence: Creating an organic (biodynamic) farm of my own. Promoting the local organic food movement. Maintaining a lifestyle of anti-consumerism.. etc..

HUGELY ADMIRABLE, imho. Congrats. I hope you are teaching others how to do the same.

3. Pursuit of knowledge in everything worth knowing.

Yeah, I'm a knowledge junky, too.

4. Supporting and educating others on the ideas and decision makers that promote positive growth in society.

What does that look like? I don't think the decision makers are really interested in positive growth in society. I think they are taking a meat axe and atomic bombs to society and getting ready to do worse. Wish I felt differently.

5. Seeing the world and living my life to the fullest.

Done a lot of that. Still doing a lot of giving it the fullest that I can manage. People are worth it.

imho, God is certainly worth it.

Thanks for your interesting list.

Originally posted by burdman30ott6

1. My family

Yeah, I can understand that it's tough putting God above family. It helps when one doesn't have much of a family! Still, I had to get over my people addiction and performance orientation . . . and needing people to feel good about myself.

2. My God (working on making this #1, but it isn't easy)

Prayers for your efforts in that department.

3. My career

A worthy priority, certainly. Though it appears from virtually every study--LONG RANGE PLANNING SIMPLY DOES NOT WORK! LOL. May your career efforts pay good dividends.

4. My downtime (hunting, fishing, sports, video games, etc)

Gotta recharge the batteries! I hope you enjoy relationship times in part of such efforts. Teaching and sharing in such things can be a real joy.

5. ATS (believe it or not!)

I can believe it. It's an interesting place. Full of interesting people.

We are given 60, 70, 80+ years on this planet if we're lucky. That isn't a whole lot of time and it's certainly not enough time to afford wasting it worrying about crap you can do little about.

QUITE SO. Though some minimal planning for the most probable contingencies may be wise.

Do I think about the current state of our country, and of possible wars, and of various conspiracies and cover-ups perpetrated by the government upon the people? ABSOLUTELY I do. However, I don't dwell on them because that does nobody any good, especially me.

Obsessing over horror and destruction is not a great uplift, for sure. Obsessing over anything is not likely to be fruitful in great ways.

Still, there's something to be said for being awake, alert, prepared as well as one reasonably can be.

Honestly, if I sat around all day mired in deep thought about some negative crap like the Middle East or terror attacks, life would really suck!

Yeah, one has to pick one's battles and one's focus. And focusing on the cesspool is not likely a wonderful thing to do.

Thanks for your excellent points.

Originally posted by Gazrok
1) MAINTAINING MY RELATIONSHIPS (Wife, Family, Friends, Co-workers)

Loved seeing you include co-workers. We spend so much time with them. They and we are worthy focused nurturing attention, imho.

2) JOB (without it, well, don't want to think about it)

Yeah--particularly for a man--pretty crucial stuff.

Though, I've had to work out what my identity was all about during long periods of being without a job or without much of a job. That can get interesting and fruitful.

3) FUN (if you don't have fun on the weekends, not much point in working all week)

Plenty of truth to that.

Though I have a lot of fun in my work. Those who can manage that are doubly blessed, imho.

4) SIDE JOBS (we do cakes and murals on the side...more cakes lately it seems)...

THAT sounds like FUN. Congrats. Maybe you could post a sample mural hereon?

5) STATE OF THE WORLD (and how it will affect me and my loved ones...may seem broad, but although in my top 5, is t he bottom of the list)...

Wellllllllllll, I think folks who ignore the last one in this context of this era . . . are clueless or just asking for more horror than necessary.

May Wisdom chase after you in such matters.

Blessings. Thanks for your interesting list and comments.

1.my happiness and trying to keep those in my life happy
2. Health..I know, I know..it should be 1 right, well its not.
3.Truth seeking, finding answers to big questions (like where did we come from,whats the deal with space? ect...)
Those are my top 3, not sure of the other 2 just yet..depends on the status of #3

Originally posted by wash222
1.my happiness and trying to keep those in my life happy

Wellllll . . . a word from the psychologist in me . . . and from Dr Murray Banks . . . on YouTube

WHAT TO DO UNTIL THE PSYCHIATRIST COMES--COMEDY AND GOOD PSYCHOLOGY

www.youtube.com...

He noted the old saw . . . that HAPPINESS is like a butterfly, the more one chases it, the more it eludes you. Yet when you calmly sit and wait, it may come and sit softly on your finger.

On p 395 of DAVID MYERS EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY 7TH ED

in the CLOSE UP

ARE 10 POINTS ABOUT HOW TO BE HAPPIER (all born out by more or less extensive research):

1. REALIZE THAT ENDURING HAPPINESS DOESN'T COME FROM FINANCIAL SUCCESS.

2. TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TIME.

3. ACT HAPPY--not as a charade--but in an earnest good faith sort of way. This was one of the key ways that I came out of the depression of my first 30 years. I began to carry myself and use the body language of the happier people I knew and admired. Research has shown that feelings can well follow body states--particularly when managed in an earnest, good faith--not in denial sort of way.

4. SEEK WORK AND LEISURE THAT ENGAGE YOUR SKILLS

5. JOIN THE "MOVEMENT" MOVEMENT--GET YOUR BODY MOVING--EXERCISE--AEROBIC EXERCISE. Still a weak area of mine though I walk and do pottery.

6. GIVE YOUR BODY THE SLEEP IT NEEDS.

7. GIVE PRIORITY TO CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS.

8. FOCUS BEYOND SELF

9. BE GRATEFUL.

10. NURTURE YOUR SPIRITUAL SELF.

FWIW.

And, we cannot force anyone to be happy. We can cultivate our own underlying foundational joy at being alive. And sometimes our joy can be infectuous for a time. As Lincoln said--MOST PEOPLE ARE ABOUT AS HAPPY AS THEY MAKE UP THEIR MINDS TO BE.

Reaching out to others in a nonmartyr sort of serving orientation can go a long ways toward contributing to one's own happiness.

2. Health..I know, I know..it should be 1 right, well its not.

Oh, I dont' know. I've met some physically supurb jerks who weren't fit to be around.

3.Truth seeking, finding answers to big questions (like where did we come from,whats the deal with space? ect...)

THE BIG QUESTIONS are worth thoughtful time. Very much so. And living according to what one discovers.

However, at some point, it's also important to take out the trash and let the dog out.

Thanks for your kind responses.

1 to get over my ex.

2 get a better job.

3 to get a flat of my own

4 have fun

5 get out more and do more stuff and meet new people

reply to post by BO XIAN


lol...I didnt say I was chasing happiness or unable to attain it, that's assuming,no? I simply view it as a top priority.

Originally posted by wash222
reply to post by BO XIAN

 

lol...I didnt say I was chasing happiness or unable to attain it, that's assuming,no? I simply view it as a top priority.

AGREED. I know.

What you evidently have not guessed is that . . .

GIVEN how many of my students initially rate seeking happiness as a top priority . . . often without much awareness or much of a plan about the role happiness plays in our lives and how . . .

I DID ASSUME that many readers might like or benefit from a bit more on the topic

So, I shared part of the usual stuff we cover in my intro class.

I also ASSUMED that folks not interested in such would skip over it.

Certainly had no intent nor desire to offend.

Originally posted by jumpingbeanz
1 to get over my ex.

I learned the hard way . . . that THAT can take a long time . . . even for a psychologist.

A year later, signing a joint tax refund, she went out of her way to note that I was "a good man." Comforting, sort of.

Most experts advise at least 2 years between major relationships to work the cobwebs out.

Of course, the pattern is . . . that we unconsciously seek out folks who will match our unfinished business with our parents. And when the first one fails, we rush out and find another virtually identical. And when that one fails, we rush out and find ANOTHER virtually identical. And when that one fails, we rush out and find YET ANOTHER virtually identical. Finally, after 7 retreads, we give up from the sheer emotional exhaustion.

I wouldn't recommend that.

I think it helped for me to focus on career and craft, arty sorts of things as well as writing. Helped getting the focus off of any tendency toward self-absorption.

2 get a better job.

Certainly a chronic priority for most folks. Not sure how well the world's economy is going to facilitate that. Sigh. I wish you the best on that score, regardless.

3 to get a flat of my own

I liked housemates. Regardless, having one's own space sure makes a difference in a lot of areas.

4 have fun

I might still be married had I been able to have fun more. LOL.

5 get out more and do more stuff and meet new people

People are a kick. Certainly interesting. And challenging. And fun to watch.

Thanks for your kind reply.

I hope you have a fun spring and summer.

Originally posted by jumpingbeanz
1 to get over my ex.

2 get a better job.

3 to get a flat of my own

4 have fun

5 get out more and do more stuff and meet new people

Am curious . . . how's it going on

1. Getting over Ex?
2. Getting a better job?
3. Gettina a place of your own?
4. Having more fun?
5. Getting out more etc?