VERITAS NEWSLETTER JUNE 2024 – GRATITUDE

GRATITUDE.

The concept of living in a state of gratitude is not easy for most of us Westerners. We are intuitively drawn towards darkness instead of light, fail to appreciate living in the moment, fail to experience fleeting joys that may never again visit us, and more, much more.

I had been a prime example of a person lacking gratitude, but recently have been consciously trying to make gratitude an integral part of my daily life. Will this last? I’ve no idea, but its possible provided I show up to participate in both the positive and negative aspects of my life.

I hope comments made here may be of some help if you’re struggling with issues in your life. What compelled me to seek positivity was because in 2024, I experienced significant challenges in mine. So, here we go…………….

GRATITUDE LIST.

HEALTH. I’m grateful for the excellent quality of physical health I’ve no right to expect. Despite disrespecting my body for many years by pouring vast quantities of dangerous substances into it, recent comprehensive medical tests confirm that somehow I have very good health. Now in my seventies, I take no medications, and still have significant energy and appetite for life.

I’m a clear example of the unfairness of life. How many friends have you lost who lived careful lives, did all they were supposed to do, never smoked, drank alcohol, or took illegal drugs, but were suddenly diagnosed with fatal illnesses. I’ll never understand that perverse phenomenon.

MEDITATION. I first began meditating at age twenty-nine. The positive impact was significant. Of course, because of that, I soon abandoned the practice. During the rest of my life, I’ve gone back and forth regarding regular practice. It’s only been since I came to live in the Philippines that I’ve finally wised up and am now enjoying the daily significant benefits. And I’ve needed a level of inner tranquility on several occasions over the past six months.

I recently spent a week living with monks in northern Thailand. We’d wake at 5 am, meditate for 2 hours followed by a silent, walking meditation. Then rice offerings for the monks while we knelt with heads bowed. Breakfast for us followed. We’d eat lunch at 1 pm. No more food until breakfast the following morning. There were many lectures and chanting throughout the day.

Forgive the cliché, but, despite the relative austerity, I found it to be a profound experience. Do you meditate? If so, do you find that regular practice improves your life, your physical and mental health?

RUNNING A HALF MARATHON. As part of my “to do” list, I decided on running in and hopefully completing a half marathon race in Sacramento, California. Although I’d been a sprint champion, I was useless at middle- or long-distance running. But, with the wise guidance of my nephew Patrick, after six months of a carefully planned training regimen, Patrick felt I was in decent shape to run.

Two miles remained when I suddenly felt acute pain in my lower right leg. It didn’t ease up. It became more painful. My choices were simple, stop or continue.

If I stopped, I’d never know if I’d have been able to complete the 13 plus miles race. If I stopped, I’d have let down my trainer Patrick, and myself.

If I continued, assuming I finished, damage would probably be done to my leg that might prevent me ever running again. The decision was easy. I completed the race thirty-five minutes under our planned timeline. And never ran competitively again.

LIVING THE DREAM(S) I dislike the term Bucket List. But I did have experiences I want to do. Until today, all but two have been done.

I wanted to be on the New York Times list of best-selling authors for my first book The Longfellah’s Son, but despite selling well, the absence of marketing, not quality, denied it the opportunity to make the illusive list.

For thirty-five years, I’d promised I’d eventually fulfill a life-long dream of working on a sailing boat, using only sails aided by wind to cross the Atlantic to South America. I paid for such a visit back in 2002 but it was cancelled. While living here, I finally got to do it in September 2018. I flew to Ireland to meet friends before heading to Tenerife from where we would depart.

We left Tenerife and sailed down to north west Africa. We arrived into Sol, one of the Cape Verde islands where slaves were taken before crossing the Atlantic to the western world. We took on supplies, then sailed across the Atlantic to North eastern Brazil. Then we headed south to Uruguay and arrived into Montevideo after a forty-six-day voyage.

For some inexplicable reason I’d always had a strong desire to travel from Montevideo across the river Plate to Buenos Aires. There I would find an old-style coffee place, very slowly drink a Cappuccino while enjoying every sip, then take the boat back to Montevideo. I did that then left Argentina after one hour in the country.

MOUNT SHASTA. I’d gone of several meditation weekends to Shasta. I’d also gone rafting several times with my children on 3-day trips on the tranquil Shasta river that flows gently through that area.

Always looming majestically high above us was glorious Mount Shasta. At 14,500 feet, it’s one of the highest mountains in the western United States. I needed to climb it! Eventually I did, but not before six months hiking on elevated mountain trails with a back pack carrying 60 pounds. A few people die every year while climbing Shasta. I wanted to reduce if not eliminate the possibility of becoming a statistic.

The first afternoon, our guide brought us to base camp at 6,000 feet. We rose at 2 am to continue our assent. Shortly before dawn we are at 10,000 feet. Our guide told us that something exciting would happen when dawn began.

Almost immediately, there was an explosion of light when part of the sun, having no other choice, (with thanks to Beckett) appeared. What then happened was one of the most startling experiences of my life. I became an insignificant ant slowly crawling up that sacred mountain side. I also felt powerful energy I didn’t recognize move unhindered through my body and inner consciousness. I was part of everything in the universe, but simultaneously part of nothing.

We had a specific length of time during which we needed to reach the summit. Otherwise, we would have to go back down the mountain. It had to do with limits on oxygen in our bodies. Fortunately, we arrived at the summit with a half hour to spare.

Two other men were there. One on them boasted about “conquering the mountain.” I had to restrain an impulse to throw him off the summit. It seems the arrogance of humans knows no limit. That glorious mountain, revered by the native Americans who’ve lived there for one thousand years, will survive and blossom long long after that man’s body had long been eaten by underground creatures. He won’t register as an afterthought in anybody’s memory while Mount Shasta was remaining calmly majestic towering over all it sees. Next day, while driving away from Shasta town, I looked to my left and up at Mount Shasta. Suddenly I started crying uncontrollably and had to stop driving. Why? It was perhaps a form of spiritual experience I’m still unable to identify.

RUNNING WITH THE BULLS. I’d planned to run with the bulls in Pamplona. Before I was set to fly to Spain, the covid pandemic hit. Perhaps it was for the best. I imagined the headlines “Old Irishman had, while stumbling with the bulls, had his delicate Irish arse gored. His wounds required 23 stitches. He’s presently recovering in hospital while undergoing intensive care. Surgery is a probability to attempt repairing his inquiries.”

But perhaps I still will travel there. Alternatively, if any of you know of a similar event in South-east Asia, please let me know.

LIVING IN THE TROPICS. This was my ultimate dream. And now I’m living it in the Philippines. Hardly a day passes when I don’t take time to look up at the coconut trees swaying in the breeze, look out to other islands I’ve already explored with over 7,000 more left.

I observe the locals with smiles on their collective faces regardless of circumstances.

It’s here I hope to transition into eternal darkness.

There are other aspects of my life I’m grateful for, but there’s no more space in the article left. I do however, also to briefly reference some negative experiences I’m grateful for.

In closing, what I’m about to tell you may seem strange. It may not apply to you but it’s my truth. I’ve had many challenging experiences throughout life and recently especially painful ones. But, in the final analysis, it’s me who is responsible for most of the negativity. Also, it’s me who is completely responsible for my reaction to all of it. When I’ve been too trusting and naive, it’s me who’s responsible for the consequences.

I’ve learned from these dark times. It was a challenging opportunity to grow from my mistakes and those of others. I didn’t always choose to learn from them, but when I did, the outcome was positive. The only real loss was when I refused to learn. Does any of this sound familiar or is it rubbish to you? Occasionally, when I believed a situation was either terrible or perhaps very good, I was incorrect. Over time, some positives become negative, while negatives became positive. Perhaps those are simply another example of life’s irony?

I’ve given you a reference to aspects of my life. But what about you? How do you view your life? Are you relatively content, or perhaps more than that, do you have love in your life, or alternatively experience emptiness that you not only accept but perversely enjoy?

Are you willing to actively make changes to your behavior to activate a better life experience? If you want it, there’s nothing apart from yourself to prevent improvement.

In a life where we control little, we can decide to control our actions. The outcome may give us the hope, the possibility of improving the final years of our lives.

What’s your choice going to be?