Monday 16 February 2009

Rainbows, Happiness and Risk

The more money and material goods we have, the more we want - and the less they bring us satisfaction.

The real key to feeling good it seems is to give and keep on giving.

When we stop putting a monetary value on what we do, it is immensely liberating.

We also have an obsession with happiness as though it were yet another purchasable product.

As a child I once tried to stand in the end of a rainbow to feel the colours on me. I ran back and forth across a wet field with friends shouting directions across the cow pats.

But rainbows can't be seen from close up.

And the irony of happiness as a product is that it disappears when we look directly at it, as ephemeral as that rainbow.

When we are young we jump into a pool whether we can swim or not.

We have no fear.

Either we swim or we drown.

Before the age of thirty important things happen to us which shape the rest of our lives.

The first is:

We become aware of ourselves and our own thinking. We reach the age of reason.

The second is:

In our new-found maturity we begin to think in a more adult way.

We become grown up.

Recklessness and risk are not compatible with age.

Risk becomes something which must be carefully considered.

Or is it!!!



Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, Sydney, Nov 2004 - Learning to fly

16 comments:

Ron Simpson said...

when you stop and consider the risk .. does it stop being risk .. or does it just become a calculated risk ?

here's to finding things to dive into without thinking .. even at my old age !

miruspeg said...

I like the way you think Ron.

I for one love diving in the deep end, sometimes I need to be rescued, sometimes I discover wonderous things.

Peggy

Lolosblog said...

Very good post!

My husband and I love to give and though it is not always possible to give financially, we find that by giving of our time, of ourselves, we walk away with a greater satisfaction of helping.

God bless.

Roban said...

Our risks certainly change as we grow older! Although I would love to experience flight again as a skydiver, I prefer to avoid the risks and stay on the ground. Although I do recall that deaths on the golf course outnumber skydiving deaths!

When I stop and think about this, my reasons for not jumping include money and time more than risk factors. It actually is a safe sport, just time consuming as you need to "hang out" at the airport all day to get on the good jumps!

It's a glorious day here, and it's a holiday... hooray!

Roban

Frequent Traveler said...

I'm just glad to keep on learning - and to have posts like this to keep me on track ! Great music for it, too :)

miruspeg said...

Brandi - Most of the work I do now is voluntary and I have grown leaps and bounds.
Anne Frank once said "No one has ever become poor by giving".

Roban the flygirl - How interesting that deaths on the golf course outnumber skydiving deaths. You must be so pleased that you mastered skydiving even though you are afraid of heights. Now that is pretty awesome!
Happy Presidents day.

Annie - I keep trying to learn and broaden my horizons as much as possible. It helps me to keep an open mind and think in different directions. Thanks for compliment about the music. Sometimes it takes longer to select the music than to write the post!

Cheers
Peggy

Jennifer Chronicles (jenx67.com) said...

The biggest risk I take is blogging. Seriously. I'm not trying to be funny. And, oh, yes - driving on I-40 in OKC.

I hear you're coming to Oklahoma. Please say you'll see me, and please bring Le from Third on the Right with you. She's in Brisbane.

Jennifer Chronicles (jenx67.com) said...

Also, I had a very big smile on my face reading that part about trying to reach the rainbow. We all did that, but you wrote it better than anyone else could have.

miruspeg said...

Jen - Yes I am coming to Oklahoma in July 2010 and AVT Coach is organising a get together and you are on the top of our list! If Le would like to join us that would be an added bonus. I will have a chat to her.

I guess we are taking a risk blogging and putting our photos on the web. The world is scary and we have to be cautious, but we can’t live in constant fear either. We have to have faith. The community and support I’ve discovered far outweighs any fears I might have.

Peggy

Midlife, menopause, mistakes and random stuff... said...

Your post really made me think this morning....so early too!! Starship paling in the background is one of my favorites and brought back a lot of good memorie's.
Thanks for your ramblings....they make me smile :)

Steady On
Reggie Girl

Gill said...

I am happy for me to take whatever risks life offers me.....but i'd prefer it if my kids learnt from my mistakes or take low risk, risk's or never let me know!! hehe. Great post.

Anonymous said...

Great post Peggy! You write "The more money and material goods we have, the more we want - and the less they bring us satisfaction." That is so true! We need very little. Our family has pretty much stopped buying un-necessary items. It was hard at first. I realize now that I don't need "stuff." My life actually feels more full with "less."

Monica said...

I agree that you can't focus on happiness. If you do selfishness and all sorts of ugly stuff is a result.

Zz... said...

oh LOL I don't know if 30 is the "age of reason" I think I was a lot more "reasonable" as a teen! Now it's just like, anything and everything goes! But then again I feel at least 60 most days!

p.s haven't heard Starship since I was a kid-haha thanks for the memories!

oh and also, not all kids are brave like you- I definitely did not find myself recklessly jumping in pools before I knew how to swim(!!)

Lilly said...

Another thought provoking post Peggy. I dive into the deep end always. And yes, I have nearly drowned on a few occasions. Some people just look at me and sigh and shake their heads. I do not consider myself to be the confident or outgoing type either. It just happens like that. To date I have regretted not looking before leaping but hey one day I may hopefully say there was meaning in that too. And I so agree with you about possessions. They mean nothing to me now. After I had that bushfire experience a few years ago it hit me that there is nothing really that means enough. Life is the only thing that matters. Thanks for the inspiration and that damn fine music!! It gets me every time!! LOL. I hope you have a great weekend and that nothing stops you from having a little fun!

miruspeg said...

Reggie, Gill, Caroline, Monica, McKenzie, Lilly - Gee I love reading your feedback on my posts!

We all have a negative voice in our heads that stops us from taking risks. Ask yourself what you really have to lose. Most of the time it's about ego and less about any real loss. Go first. Have the courage to something before waiting to see if others are willing.

And that folks is my final word for this post!
Hugs
Peggy