Living a Life that Matters

Monday, I returned home to Denver from a week-long vacation in California. I had anticipated a week of rest, rejuvenation and renewal. I was hoping for a break from my usual routine which often seems to be filled with constant activity, both physical and mental. If I am to be totally honest, more than just a vacation, I was seeking a respite from myself. But, as the saying goes, “Wherever you go, there you are.” That certainly proved to be true.

While I was able to rest, relax and rejuvenate physically in the beautiful surroundings of a friend’s home in San Diego for a few days, and in a private garden apartment in Oakland over the weekend, I was unable to escape from my mental activity and what, at times, seems to be a compulsion for self-reflection and contemplation.

It began at Denver International Airport the day of our departure. As we moved through the security checkpoint line I found myself becoming keenly aware of the other people standing in line waiting their turn. As we passed through security and made our way to the tram that would take us to our terminal, I continued to notice, in a way I had not done before, the crowd of people riding up and down the escalator on their way to an airplane that would take them somewhere or from an airplane that had recently delivered them to Denver.

I wondered, “How many people fly on commercial aircraft on an average day?” Fortunately, with the aid of modern technology, answers to questions such as that are in the palms of our hands. When I arrived at the gate I looked it up on my iPhone. I was amazed to learn that over 8 million people travel by airplane on an average day. That more than 3 billion people fly annual was an even more astounding statistic.

Becoming aware of my fellow human beings at the airport that day triggered a contemplation that continued throughout the week, and on which I am still ruminating.

I wondered about their lives. Where had they been? Where are they going? What is going on in their lives? What are they concerned about? What do they care about? What really matters to them? I realize that the answers to those questions are as diverse as the people themselves.

My awareness continued as we arrived in San Diego, picked up our rental car and ventured out into rush hour traffic. Again, I was acutely aware of the people, this time in cars going to and from places I have never been and have no knowledge of.

I was curious. What must their lives be like? How different are their lives from mine? What really matters to them?

I wondered, if they, like me, often don’t notice others around them because they get so caught up in their own daily mental and physical activities. Are we so focused on just making it through another day that we don’t take time to consider each other?

This brought me to a deeper question, “Does most of what we do on a daily basis really matter?” More specifically, I wondered, “Does what I do on a daily basis really matter?

I realized more intensely than ever before the infinitesimal part each of us plays in the whole of humanity. I wondered whether there is any real significance to my minuscule part in it all. And, if so, what?

Ultimately, I questioned, “Does one life, specifically my life, really matter?”

This led me to question whether it is important to me for my life to matter. I wondered if I am on some Ego trip. Do I want people to notice me? Do I want to be special? Do I want to leave a legacy? Do I want my life to matter so that people will admire and honor me? I have pondered those questions and come to the conclusion that, no, that’s not really it.

I wondered if my question was more about whether I am making a meaningful contribution to others or to humanity in general, and whether that is really what matters to me. Do I want what I do and who I am to matter to others because I contribute to their lives? Well, yes, I want to contribute to others in ways that are meaningful to them. Yet, that still did not capture the essence of my questioning.

After considerable contemplation and consternation, I think I have arrived at the crux of the matter. Rather than, “Does my life matter?” the question became, “What matters to me, and am I serving it to the best of my ability?” When I landed there it felt like a truer and more honest question. I felt some relief and an inner knowing that if I can connect with what truly matters to me and do my best to serve it, I will live a life that matters.

I do believe that what matters to each of us is ultimately what matters. Further, if we are living our lives in service to what truly matters to us in ways that are compassionate and loving to others and ourselves, we are contributing to the overall well-being of the whole.

Additionally, I recognized that what matters to us is informed by many things, including our unique expression of God/Creative Life Force/Source, which some refer to as our ‘soul,’ also by our life experiences, as well as by situations and circumstances in the world that touch us and open our hearts. Also, what matters to us is not static. It is fluid and changes as we grow and change.

Over the course of the past days, I have recognized more powerfully than ever before that in the great journey of humanity I am but one traveler among billions, and that we are companions on the path, co-creating this experience we call life. It may appear that we are doing it independently; yet, we are inextricably connected to the whole. Further, everything we do matters in some way.

I encourage us to recognize that every life matters. Every thought matters. Every word matters. Every action matters.  My hope and prayer is that we all connect deeply with what matters to us, and do our best to allow every step we take to be in service to it while honoring and valuing each other along the way.

Join us on Sunday at 10:00 as we explore “Living a Life that Matters.”