Are you really living life to the fullest?

Today is a day of remembrance for me. September 11. Last year on this date I wrote a short post that paid homage to two of my favorite people.

I lost my brother Thaddeus to mental illness and suicide on this date in 1996.
I lost my uncle Jonathan in the WTC disaster on this date in 2001.

you can read my blog post from last year here.

The question that I'm contemplating today is...What does living life to the fullest look like? and what does it take for us to actually live it?

maybe a great place to start is to ask ourselves what we want out of life.

So what doe you want? what does your "life to the fullest" look like?

Good Discussions... talking & listening

I love great conversations. I recently had a really good one with my brother Toby.
I feel refreshed, my burdens lift and I'm inspired to keep searching and dreaming about what this life is all about at the end of a great conversation.
I am reminded that the real sharing and living of life is done by being real about the feelings and thoughts in the journey with other people.

We discussed the challenges we face and what it takes to is to work through and understand and each other when emotionally charged issues arise.

It has been said that if you want to have a civil conversation, you should avoid the topics surrounding religion, politics and sex with those that have differing views than you. Also that real friendship and understanding is not possible with others of different opinions on these topics.

As I've thought about it, I realize that these topics strike a deep cord in most of us and are tied directly to the fundamental view we have of ourselves and we often feel our view threatened and have the need to defend our position and the face of a different option.

It is uncomfortable to be open to and understand the views of others, then those views are seen as challenging what we have always believed about how the world "should" be and what we "should" do. It can unsettle the relationship when and if we find that those we have agreed with in the past embrace a new and different view.

So... is it possible to still be friends and differ on these topics? Can we understand those on the other side of the fence and still be "friends"?

Last night I watched the movie "The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas" and it struck me again how easily children can break through the ideological and social barriers we construct (around ourselves as adults) to define and "protect" ourselves. In our attempts to define and live within the comfort zones of our relationships we often miss out on relationships or experiences that would enrich and bring new dimensions to our lives.

Are we willing to be courageous enough and willing to take the risk to open up discussions across the lines, and to really listen even regarding those things we feel strongly about?

I believe our lives will be richer of it if we do!