Friends:
Thank you so much for your patience and tolerance on this journey.
I can assure you that when I started to write about Essentialism back in January, I had no intention of making this into what has turned into a 31 week essay, a sort of extended book report that almost exceeds the length of a year of college classes. But the book was too complex, the ideas too nuanced and deep, that anything other than a full examination seemed to do.
It is fair to ask at the end of any journey "Was it worth it?" and "What did you learn?"
Was it worth it? Yes, I believe so. It has been some time since I have given myself the luxury of focusing on a single book like this. Reading, and re-reading, and then writing what I read has given me a focus on this idea that I had not anticipated. In the question of breadth versus depth, I went with depth in this instance. And I am not disappointed.
What did I learn? Other than re-introducing myself to the concepts of this book and dwelling on them in more detail (this is not my first journey through it), I might argue it was less of a learning and more of a right timing issue in that - between a relocation and a re-orientation of my life - I was primed to look at my life and the things in it in a new way. Some of these things - for example -the sale of The Ranch - have already manifested themselves as they seemed to have become - in a sense - "non-essential" to my life as it now is. As I continue to think on these things, I suspect there will be more.
These essays are now collected and posted to a page at the right, both for readers as they need them, but mostly for myself as I need to constantly keep such things in front of me.
There is one final quote I have to offer from McKeown from his last chapter:
"The life of an Essentialist is a life lived without regret. If you have correctly identified what really matters, if you invest your time and energy in it, then it is difficult to regret the choices you make. You become proud of the life you have chosen to live."
Or differently said, from the beginning of the book by Mary Oliver:
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?"
Well TB....... live it. Thankful that I've lasted this long.
ReplyDeleteI am trying, Nylon12. I could be more focused. I am working on it.
DeleteI think your project was a worthy one and hopefully it translates into your life. I think we all need to be a bit more retrospective about our lives from time to time and adjust accordingly.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ed. It is seldom that I delve into a book to this extent (although I think it was a very good practice). As it turns out, the retrospective for me was quite useful as a number of things are essentially ending in my life either over the course of the last year or in the upcoming one. It is good to start looking to the next step.
DeleteI was hoping you'd collect the posts for your pages list.
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you tackle books like this, i.e. thoughtfully and analytically. It led to my checking it out of the library. That meant a faster read-through, but a lot of it felt like affirmation and fine-tuning rather than new material. I still don't think I've retained as much as I'd like, but then, this is an ongoing discipline.
Leigh - It struck me as something I should do after putting the equivalent of 30-odd weeks investment in this, if for no other reason that to make it easy for myself.
DeleteI have to admit that I have come to admire the long form of this sort of thing. It does mean a bit more homework for me on a weekly basis, but the result (much like the history of Anglo-Saxon England) means that I learn the thing more fully.
Originally I was going to do something completely different, but now I am thinking I might start with something else similar (still trying to think what that will be).
Thanks for taking me along an some smart guys run through life, in such an entertaining and educational way. I know, philosophy is no extra charge, just the standard fee.
ReplyDelete"The problem with the world is that intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence." Charles Bukowski
I know you know, just a friendly reminder.
T_M - You are certainly welcome. It has been as interesting and educational to write as hopefully it has been to read.
DeleteI had not hear that quote of Bukowski, but it is precisely on the nose.
Like Leah, I have thought a Pages link for these essays would be a great idea, TB. I have missed many of the posts in this series, and I had given up on ever catching up on them all. But your sidebar link to the series might bring reading them all closer to being a possibility for me. ;^)
ReplyDeleteBecki - I need the reminder myself as well; I am terrible about running such things down.
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