In a blink of an eye you are going to be my age, I told him.
He swayed back and forth on the hammock he skillfully hung between the sea grape tree and a sturdy palm in our front yard.
Allan looked at me with eyes I recognized not just as my son’s eyes but also my own. For a moment his gaze transported me back to my 20’s when I saw the world before me as endless opportunity. Looking at him I realized that nothing has really changed.
Life is always a set of ongoing choices, some are big and some are tiny. Part of our challenge, regardless of age, is to choose what makes most sense, what is most satisfying, what brings the most joy, what ultimately allows us to realize who and what we are. But this challenge is not so much about making the right big decision; those are usually obvious. The big challenge is in being aware that we are deciding constantly and that these small decisions determine how we spend our life.
This year I celebrated my 50th birthday. It was a joyous occasion and an important one. As I walked into my party, I consciously embraced the reality that I have fewer years ahead of me than I have behind. Fifty is a milestone birthday, but so is everyday! And even though I intellectually understood then and now that my time is limited, a part of me does not believe this. A part of me believes and wants to continue to believe that I have all of the time in the world. This false belief in the eternity of this present body often puts me on the autopilot of folly, a trance of not really caring that this moment that just passed is one-of-a-kind and never going to be repeated.
This may sound somewhat depressing, but embodying this mindset fully leads us to living more fully rather than superficially. Sitting there with my son on the hammock reminded me once again that just like him I have choices to make. And although I have a little bit more experience because of my 27 year head start, my age does not guarantee wisdom. Wisdom emerges in relationship to how we align ourselves with what is real in the moment. We all wrestle. We all decide.
In the wisdom literature of the Bible, wisdom is said to be generous and inviting: “Wisdom cries out in the street; in the square she raises her voice” (Prov 1.20). In another passage wisdom is given voice and says: “I, wisdom, live with prudence” (Prov 8.12).
The first passage reminds us that we live in a generous and abundant universe. There’s no lack of wisdom for us to access. Wisdom calls out to us at every corner of our life, inviting us into right relationship with all that is.
The second passage has wisdom living with prudence. Although this word has left our lexicon for the most part, and it often has a negative connotation, prudence is a powerful word. It’s a contraction of the Latin word providentia and the source for where we get the word foresight or to see before hand.
Without prudence, we don’t have a way of knowing where we are and where we are headed. To lack prudence means to lack the ability to navigate life, to discern what is real and what is false. Living with prudence has something to do with slowing down enough to notice what’s in front of us in order to appreciate the goodness that’s possible when we align ourselves with life itself.
The more I reflect back on my life, the more I realize that life is incredibly precious and short. (I’m back to the message of my birthday celebration.) I’m more aware now as I turn the corner of middle age that wisdom and prudence are necessary to maneuver the many obstacles that impede our path in living fully, and a realignment with wisdom and an embrace of prudence are good practice to consider wherever we may be in our life journey.
But how do we do this? How do we realign or strengthen our practice?
There are many ways, but we don’t have to go far to find the path. As a matter of fact, we don’t have to go anywhere. A meditative practice that aligns body and mind through breath is a sure way back to wisdom. This could take the form of simply sitting for 5-10 minutes every morning and evening observing the breath, labeling thoughts as thoughts, and settling one’s mind.
It could be as generous and enjoyable as a yoga practice that moves the entire body and focuses on the breath in the process of the movement, allowing the thoughts to take an unfocused space in one’s mind and slowing down to appreciate the moment without judgment.
As we start a new year we can reset our intentions, come back to wisdom and prudence, move away from distraction and embrace greater focus, discipline, and joy. Embracing this desire and creating the conditions by which we can fulfill these desires are in our reach.
It’s my hope that this coming year Maribel and I can walk with you who are reading this message on this path. It is my hope that we each slow down just a little bit more so that we can hear Wisdom’s invitation to a more abundant life.
In a way, my conversation with Allan was an invocation to Lady Wisdom and her sister, Prudence. To ask questions about how we want to live is an appeal to moving off of autopilot living and to make choices that align best with the nature of what is real.
Every single day, every hour of the day, every minute of every hour is really an invitation to ask these questions. What we decide to do with the time we have is our answer.
Upcoming Events
January 27-29
Join us for a Miami weekend retreat where we workout, practice Yoga, learn about food, cook and eat together, and have some fun. Our aim in this intensive is to jump start the year, provide a strong motivational foundation for wellness through practical knowledge and community building.
Friday — 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Saturday — 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday — 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Cost for the 17 Hours: $300. Price includes healthy and delicious meals.
Register by no later than Friday, January 20. Call to reserve: 786.991.2269.
May 18-21; 25-28
We have two retreats planned in Tennessee this spring. The first one will focus on strengthening one’s inner life through journaling and Yoga in the beautiful setting of Narrow Ridge.
We will offer a second retreat toward the end of the week that will be geared for those interested in weight loss and well being and will focus on food, cooking, and movement.
We are offering the two retreats back-to-back and providing a discount for those who would like to take part in both.
Cost for one retreat: $600 (Includes all meals and lodging.)
Cost for the two retreats: $900 (Includes all meals and lodging.)
Call for more information: 786.991.2269.
