S E C T I O N A : O u r S e a r c h f o r M e a ni n g a n d B el o n gi n g I N V E S TI G AT E
A s y o u w al k e d t h r o u g h t h e b u s y m a r k et pl a c e at t h e c e nt r e of t h e cit y, y o u mi g ht h a v e n oti c e d o n e p a rti c ul a r m a n. H e l o v e d t o st o p a n d t al k t o hi s f ell o w At h e ni a n s. Oft e n, w h at h e h a d t o s a y d r e w a c r o w d. H e di d n ot l o o k v e r y i m p r e s si v e. H e w a s o v e r w ei g ht, b al d a n d s n u b - n o s e d. H e w o r e s h a b b y cl ot h e s. Y et, h e w a s t h e m o st f a m o u s t e a c h e r i n At h e n s. Hi s n a m e w a s S o c r a t e s .
T h e r e w a s n o s u bj e ct t h at S o c r at e s r ef u s e d t o di s c u s s. H o w e v e r, h e h a d n o p ati e n c e wit h p e o pl e w h o s hi e d a w a y f r o m t hi n ki n g h a r d a b o ut dif ti c ult q u e sti o n s. F o r e x a m pl e, h e o n c e c h all e n g e d a m a n b y a s ki n g hi m, ‘ S o y o u t hi n k y o u k n o w w h o y o u a r e j u s t b e c a u s e y o u k n o w y o u r o w n n a m e ?’.
S o c r at e s w a s al w a y s e n c o u r a gi n g p e o pl e h e m et t o st o p a n d t hi n k. H e ti r ml y b eli e v e d t h at r e fi e c ti o n i s a s n e c e s s a r y a s b r e at hi n g f o r li vi n g a f ull, w o rt h w hil e lif e.
S o c r at e s a d vi s e d p e o pl e t o s et a si d e s o m e ti m e e a c h d a y f o r r e ti e cti o n. T hi s w o ul d h el p u s t o b e c o m e m o r e t h o u g htf ul. H e s ai d t h at w e s h o ul d al w a y s st o p a n d t hi n k b ef o r e w e m a k e i m p o rt a nt d e ci si o n s.
M o m e nt s of a w e a n d w o n d er
I n o u r f a st - p a c e d w o rl d, it i s e a s y t o b e c o m e di st r a ct e d b y all t h e n oi s e a n d a cti vit y t h at s u r r o u n d s u s. P h o n e s, l a pt o p s, f ri e n d s hi p s, h o m e w o r k, s p o rt s t e a m s, f a mil y a cti viti e s a n d c h o r e s – t h e li st s e e m s e n dl e s s! It c a n b e a r e al c h all e n g e t o t r y t o f oll o w S o c r at e s’ a d vi c e a n d m a k e
ti m e f o r r e tt e cti o n. Oft e n, it
u n e x p e ct e dl y tt n d o u r s el v e s i n a q ui et m o m e nt t h at r e ti e cti o n c a n h a p p e n. T hi n k a b o ut t h e f oll o wi n g st o r y:
E
arli er t his y e ar, o ur f a mil y m o v e d o ut of t h e cit y a n d s ettl e d i n a q ui et r ur al ar e a al o n g t h e c o ast. O ur n e w h o us e is l o c at e d q uit e n e ar t h e s e a s h or e. W e h a d b e e n t h er e f or a f e w w e e ks a n d it w as s u m m er; t h e ni g hts w er e v er y
w ar m, s o o ur f a mil y w as sl e e pi n g wit h t h e wi n d o ws o p e n. O n e ni g ht, I w o k e u p a n d c o ul d n ot g o b a c k t o sl e e p. T h er e w as a s o u n d o utsi d e m y wi n d o w t h at w as u nf a mili ar t o m e, a s o u n d li k e p e o pl e w al ki n g o v er gr a v el. T h er e ar e r ailr o a d tr a c ks b e hi n d o ur h o us e, s o I w o n d er e d w h o mi g ht b e w al ki n g o n t h e tr a c ks at 3 a. m. F or s o m e ti m e I j ust l a y t h er e list e ni n g, u ntil I c o ul d n ot h el p b ut l o o k. I w al k e d o v er t o t h e wi n d o w, s at d o w n a n d g a z e d i nt o t h e ni g ht, b ut t h er e w as n o o n e o n t h e r ail w a y tr a c ks. Y et t h e s o u n d c o nti n u e d. It t o o k m e a w hil e, b ut I
1 3 T HI N K A B O U T ... i s o nl y w h e n w e K E Y C O N C E P T
R efl ecti o n m e a ns t hi nki n g a b o ut w h o y o u ar e, w hy y o u ar e h er e a n d w h er e y o u ar e g oi n g i n lif e.
C
D E B AT
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