On the Good
I've been talking to a client over the past few months about what constitutes a "good" life. The client's perspective, naturally, included domestic comforts, travel, and a variety of activities to amuse and entertain them for many years to come.
But what I was hoping the client would see is that it's a life of daily mindful reflection that makes life worth living. We don't get to take all the stuff we amass in this lifetime with us when we pass on to the next life, and while money can ensure some things in life, peace of mind is not necessarily one of those things.
To lead a truly happy and fulfilling life it's crucial to engage in daily reflections, to keep one's mind open to receive and explore new concepts and ideas, to embrace life itself in all its complexity. It's a concept that seems logical enough, however focusing on the value of one's spiritual and intellectual fulfillment over the value of stuff... is harder than one might initially think, which brings me to today's discussion points. Ready? Here goes...
Connecting with this week's Gospel reading
Lk 18:18-27 is the popular narrative about it being "easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
What few people notice is that the conversation begins with a bemused JC asking why He's being called "Good Teacher" and admonishes the person speaking with Him for using the word "good" so lightly, for only God is perfectly good... "What is impossible for men is possible for God." By this account, while human beings (who are finite and organic entities) may strive to live a good life, only God is capable of manifesting perfect goodness. The reading is interesting because it examines the very nature of goodness (by earthly standards) versus the Divine Goodness (or Grace) to which JC refers.
The reading also calls for a level of personal reflection that enables a person to detach from their earthly cares and possessions. Whatever keeps us attached to the things that preoccupy us have to be released from our minds and hearts. (Or... to quote a certain Disney princess, we need to learn to let stuff go.) Whether it's an object or circumstance, we have to be willing to let it go in favor of unlocking the goodness within us and following the righteous path.
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Connecting with the Aristotelian concept of Evdemonia
Aristotle presents a similar argument in the canonical philosophical work entitled Nichomachean Ethics.
The concept of Happiness is a state of flourishing attainable amongst human beings who follow the good life path prescribed by Aristotle (aka, the Golden Mean). To achieve spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical and social states of flourishing one must abandon any human excesses or deficiencies and develop good habits. The process of forming and practicing good habits is, by Aristotle's account, the means to achieving a state of excellence... flourishing... and ultimately true happiness.
Can anyone ever be truly good?
I've seen a few people come very close. Not that they never have their weak moments or tragic flaws... but they care about the world around them more keenly, honestly and humbly than others, taking the time and effort to help ensure that the days to follow will be better than the days that have passed....
The best that any person can do, in work and in life, is to discover, understand and use their natural and acquired skills to walk the path towards Evdemonia with a sense of modestly, humility and gratitude, knowing that everything placed on their path represents an opportunity for personal/professional growth and flourishing.
Remember to...