We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.
~ Wendell Berry
Like several of our friends, we have recently sold our home and are looking to downsize.
As I attempt to wrap my head around change and uncertainty, I re-view Dr. Wayne Dyer's documentary The Shift: Taking your life from Ambition to Meaning. It starts off with the following Carl Jung quote:
But we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the programme of life’s morning; for what was great in the morning will be little at evening, and what in the morning was true will at evening have become a lie.
~Carl Jung, CW 8, Para 784
What does this mean?
My interpretation of this Jungian insight is that in the morning of our lives, it is reasonable to prioritize building, what David Brooks refers to as, résumé virtues - the skills we bring into the market place. But in the afternoon of life, shifting the focus more to eulogy virtues (kindness, compassion, love, humility, wisdom, courage, integrity...) makes sense. Caring less about what others think and focusing more on what resonates with our core values becomes liberating - promoting a healthier outcome.
Indeed, in the afternoon of my life, my priorities are changing. The focus has become less about me and more about leaving a legacy of well-being for future generations. Personally, this means consuming less - less food, less water, less fossil fuel, less breath (what?), less medical care (blogs for another day) - leaving a smaller footprint. It also means sharing wisdom, becoming a better server, leaving a legacy of well-th.
Of course I still want to have a home where my children feel welcome and comfortable - a safe haven away from the busyness of city life. And I want to continue to work. We all have a heroic mission and I intend to live mine. I don't intend to die with my music still in me as Wayne Dyer says. But it's liberating to feel a little less attached to possessions - to feel like - having less can be more.
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