Feed the flame
#132
The countdown to Christmas is on in earnest. I'm not exactly brimming with holiday cheer. The truth is, it was the Christmas of '91 when I totally lost interest in the whole affair. I spent that Christmas alone in a hot tub at the gym I managed. Of course, when our little ones were young, I had to put on a happy face for them. But once they grew up, I let my inner Scrooge back out—to the point they officially labelled me The Grinch and even bought me a black Santa hat to wear on the big day. I still break that bad boy out.
That said, I am looking forward to a bit of a break and the chance to veg out for a week. I probably won't be sending any cheerful missives next Saturday unless I surprise you with a Bah Humbug audio note.
I will say, I actually had some fun this year buying small gifts for the family. We decided to cap spending at £6 a person and donate what we would've spent on bigger gifts to charities instead. I took it further and bought all my cheap gifts at charity shops, so even my token £6 went to good causes. I had a blast rummaging through the second-hand stores, seeing how many little pressies I could grab for a fiver. I've got quite a sad little gift pile accumulating.🧑🎄
In case I don't send a note out next week...
Happy Christmas, or whatever.😉
what would Sartre have to say about this?
This week, I found myself in an existentialist mood as 2023 draws to a close. It seems fitting to reexamine a few themes that have been occupying my thoughts lately through the philosophical prism of Jean-Paul Sartre.
As the year comes to a close, I feel compelled to reflect on the nature of meaning and purpose in my life. Sartre would likely remind me that existence precedes essence. We are solely responsible for defining our individual significance through the choices we make within the freedom we are granted.
I'm also reevaluating my priorities and sense of ambition as I transition into the New Year. Sartre would caution against losing myself in passions that lack authenticity or self-awareness. True joy arises from conscious engagement with the world and others to shape our destiny.
Finally, I'm contemplating my legacy and what I wish to leave behind when I'm done. As an existentialist, Sartre saw self-made earthly achievements as the only form of immortality available. He would advise earnestly devoting ourselves to worthy pursuits that outlast our finite lives.
As the next year approaches, I find motivation in revisiting philosophical pillars that highlight our radical freedom and responsibility as human beings to imbue existence with hard-won meaning. Sartre, for me, remains a complex but compelling voice, challenging me to own my choices at every turn in this bewildering, marvellous adventure.
Sartre
On embracing change
Sartre saw existence as preceding essence - we exist first and then define our own meaning. As such, he would applaud the idea of stepping outside one's routine and comfort zone to define a more authentic purpose. He might caution, however, that with radical freedom comes responsibility.On the pursuit of passion
Sartre would argue that rediscovering one's passions and piquing curiosity about life is taking charge of one's own destiny. This aligns with his views on cultivating our freedom to shape our lives in an uncertain world. He might warn against losing oneself in frivolity, however - true joy requires conscious choice.On contemplation and self-reflection
As an advocate of radical reflection, Sartre would likely extol the idea of looking inward to re-evaluate one's values and priorities. This aligns with his belief that we alone bear responsibility for who we become based on the choices we make.On being of service to others
Sartre would approve of this as a path to an authentic life. Bringing joy to others allows us to define ourselves by our actions, not just words - living genuinely by being engaged with the world.
Ultimately, Sartre would endorse the active pursuit of passion and purpose as a pathway to an authentic life. He would advise that embracing radical freedom means acknowledging hard existential realities. We continually choose who we become based on how we expend our limited time. And if we wish to live genuinely, we must perpetually reevaluate whether our actions reflect our evolving truths. In Sartre's eyes, seizing responsibility for our choices and character constitutes no less than the human imperative. Half-commitment or hiding from ourselves equates to surrendering our potential. And I decided this morning that I am definitely done hiding!
I have a lot of thinking to do between now and the New Year.
feed the flame
(1)
How easily do our lives descend into monotony? One day folds seamlessly into the next until they blend into a wash of dreary greys. We follow our routine paths on autopilot, no longer fully present as we commute, work, or run errands. The vibrancy once colouring our world fades bit by bit.
We numbed ourselves to life's technicolour beauty somehow. Too caught up in checking tasks off of to-do lists and trudging through responsibilities, we forgot the pulsing excitement of possibilities. With each mundanity, another ember of the inner fire dims until only smoke remains.
Yet, within the hollow dullness lies opportunity. For grey contains all colours muted, awaiting rediscovery. In those repetitive rituals and boring tasks, there are chances to stumble upon forgotten shards of meaning. The smallest things can reignite passion's flames—a lingering look at the night sky, the giggles of a child, flowers bursting defiantly through cracked city concrete.
When we emerge from monotonous dreams, we realise the choice and responsibility are ours. Will we dwell in stark shadows or nourish long-dimmed embers of aliveness back to their incandescent glow? The potential for colours to leap into brilliance lives within us still. In those quiet spaces between commute and errand, inspiration waits to be welcomed. We need only the courage to open our eyes wider to the beauty always within reach.
(2)
Transformation begins not with grand gestures but with the small choices that gradually nourish the soul. It starts as we reach for the dusty guitar tucked away in the closet, strumming out untuned melodies until our fingers remember their place on the frets once more. The first step is timid—perhaps merely cracking open a novel set in distant lands where imagination can roam free for a little while. It builds as we find the courage to linger in the international aisle, considering spice blends that summon new flavours to our tongues.
These tiny acts burst with accidental defiance, subtly shaking loose the chains of routine. With guitar strings humming gentle music under our touch, the tuneless noise that filled our days finds harmony again. As fictional worlds envelop our minds, the blank canvas stretch of predictable hours suddenly holds shapes and colours. Our palette expands from black and white to vivid watercolours as recipes awaken dormant cravings for adventure.
In the background, something whispers—faint but insistent. These small choices peel back the veil, shrouding forgotten truths within. There are undiscovered countries lying just beyond the edge of the humdrum. That vibrant chasm gapes between existing and living. The voice reminds us gently that we can still choose—at any moment, we still retain the agency to step off the path of least resistance. With improvised melody, imagined journey, or spice-scented kitchen alchemy, we declare in whispering tones: there is more to this life than uniform grey. I am here, and I am seeking.
(3)
Transformation does not only shout loudly; often it whispers in subtle tones. We feel its gentle voice in small accomplishments that ripple outward in their impact. Completing a short story kindles a flickering sense of pride; as modest words accumulate on the page, so too does self-assurance. Rising early to the muted melody of birdsong stirs some long-slumbering solace within. Perusing the bookshelf to see spine after spine of completed tales sparks a glowing ember of confidence.
These minor milestones lend critical momentum as we retrain ourselves to flourish. Each one is a cobblestone, paving the wandering road back to passion. In our solo daybreak moments, we remember the joy of bearing witness to beauty without hurry. As recipes finally yield their secret spices into perfect dishes, we savour the richness of learning life’s small lessons. Soon, novels will call to us alluringly once more as creativity awakens from its long hibernation.
In place of an amorphous existence, colours begin bleeding back into the landscape of hours and days. Revelling in art, nature, and food imbues daily rituals with hints of adventure, even amidst routine. As we master these subtle skills, something expands in how we hold ourselves. With our spines straighter, our eyes brighter, and our shoulders lighter, we grow lit from within by the glowing pride of those who recognise dormant dreams awakening. Soon we gaze outward with renewed vision, spotting possibility’s first pale shoots emerging from the ashes of apathy. Tiny triumphs lend courage to turn towards grander horizons, where passion waits to ignite into blazing reality.
(4)
To unearth joy again requires digging deep within and reconnecting to the bedrock of our dreams. We must peer honestly at the face in the mirror and ask: What truly ignites your passion? The question may echo unanswered at first, but how disconnected have we been from personal yearning? Sitting quietly with closed eyes can help reveal the initial faint contours of buried longing.
Patience with ourselves proves paramount as we gently unwind the threads of self-judgment, expectation, and assumption entangling our hearts. Beyond those knots lies a still small voice—our inner compass, ever pointing towards the true north of authentic desire. Deep breaths create space for its whisperings to take form and gain clarity over time.
As dreams crystallise into words and images, we regain sight of buried treasure still gleaming within reach. That childhood whim to paint, explore wildlands, and spread music resides not in some irretrievable past place but rather within our present potential. This revived self-knowing orients us once more towards the people and activities that kindle that sacred inner hearth.
Soon one small step leads to another until we stand fully present, the fog of days cleared, gazing upon landscapes and pursuits that ignite wonder and joy. The terrain may differ from what we envisioned; after all, the best adventures veer from expectation. With the inner horizon expanded and the compass needle unwavering, we can chart a course confidently towards a rediscovered purpose. No matter where the journey leads, it will be coloured by passion when powered by one's true north star.
(5)
Like a web, the strictures of routine bind us firmly into the predictability of each passing day. The mind numbs itself against the monotonous commute of stopping and starting amid familiar landmarks. At the grocer's, the same ingredients automatically fill the cart week after week. The body moves through mechanical exercise motions, oblivious to the marvel of movement. No variation dares disturb the habitual ruts worn into life’s narrow lanes.
Yet how easily we forget that the slightest shift in perception can jolt us into awakened presence. When we dare to deviate, vistas of possibilities unfold. An alternate route home bathes every detail in new light—we notice flower boxes adorning inner-city windowsills for the first time. Attempting a novel cuisine, taste buds sing at spices’ symphonies while the tongue delights in deciphering flavours. Adjusting the routine of physical exertion, we inhabit the body with renewed awe as it fluidly rises to new challenges.
In subtle sideways steps outside prescribed boundaries, we glimpse unseen facets of this world we inhabit. Each small departure from routine reveals our tiny place within the vast, interconnected whole. Like patchwork quilt squares, we are not the whole landscape but rather a singular, vibrant thread essential to the wider portrait of community and world. Stitching back into the fabric of civic engagement through fresh eyes, we regain sight of the significance lying in all things commonplace.
(6)
True and lasting happiness relies on a strong foundation—the bedrock of self-care—upon which our most vibrant lives can flourish. To blossom into our highest potential requires nurturing the body, mind, and soul through life's seasons.
When we nourish our physical form through movement, we honour this transient gift of health and capability. Each stride, stretch, or breath consciously taken with presence loosens the grip of complacency's shackles. As blood pulses and lungs expand, vitality infuses our days with a subtle glow. In the wholesome foods that nourish, we celebrate the profound privilege of access and choice accorded to so few in history. By consuming consciously, we protect the one tool that permits us to practise purpose.
Looking inward, mindfulness traditions like meditation provide proven paths to self-knowledge and acceptance. In stillness, the cacophony of inner turmoil finds quietude. As we consistently dedicate time to getting to know ourselves, judgement lifts to reveal our wholeness. We access enduring reservoirs of wisdom and strength, no longer fractured by self-doubt.
Together, these holistic practises awaken a deep appreciation for health's intricacies and life’s fleeting beauty. In caring continually for the finite body and fallible mind, we cultivate profound self-love and respect, where joy’s steady beacon can shine regardless of external circumstance. On this foundation, we stand strong to contribute our highest gifts, no matter how life’s winds blow.
(7)
Inspiration hides in plain sight for those attuned to its glimmers. Its sparks exist woven into the fabric of the everyday—in snatches of overheard conversations, lyrical verse, and strains of soaring music. Out in the wilds, inspiration’s kindling hides within the marvels of fluttering fauna, the complexity of ancient bark, and the endurance of winding rivers.
We need only awareness to notice inspiration smouldering all around and within us. Curiosity is the oxygen that feeds tentative flames into bold, dancing fires. Asking questions fans the embers—about strangers’ stories, the history in buildings’ cracks, the foreign terms on a menu. Literally exploring unfamiliar terrain unearths remnants of inspiration buried under assumptions and routine. Figuratively digging deeper into philosophical ideas ignites inner insight.
As we uncover and collect inspiration’s tinder, our inner landscape illuminates. Imagination awakens from slumber, conjuring new patterns and colours from mundane threads. Bold new brushstrokes stain the canvas of the possible, revealing daring frontiers of creative vision. We glow with rekindled vitality, no longer weighed down by a deadened routine. The world’s beauty startles and delights again, saturated with meaning.
When inspiration’s fire roars brightly within us, we cannot help but dance in its warmth and light. We create to celebrate life’s kinship with us. We share our light so that inspiration winds ever outward through hearts and minds blazing with renewed purpose.
(8)
Few acts ignite such profound fulfilment as bringing joy to others through simple human kindness. In lightening another’s emotional load, our own spirits soar. Opening eyes to hardship fosters understanding and compassion. Lending an ear for someone’s outpouring forges bonds sturdier than steel.
Opportunities to serve surround us, needing only willingness. Listening fully to a stranger’s story honours their enduring humanity. Helping an elderly neighbour with garden work or an errand is a gift of service. Volunteering at a shelter provides balm for bodies and spirits in need. Building houses constructs hope from the ground up. Reading to children kindles sparks of creativity.
Even the smallest gestures change fates. Pausing to smile at a harried barista. Letting cars merge into traffic. Picking up trash strewn carelessly. Holding the door for weighted arms. These gentle ripples expand in unseen ways, buoying others through unrelenting stress and grind.
As we offer parts of ourselves through selfless service, subtly but profoundly, our realities interweave with others. Strangers transform into neighbours; acquaintances into friends. Once isolated, threads find vibrant belonging to a community tapestry much larger than ourselves. We grasp how all lives rely on compassion—how a web of mutual support makes civilisation’s weight bearable.
In giving to others, we receive life’s ultimate gift: significance. Meaning lies not in solitary pursuits of greatness but rather in the many humble ways we lessen the load for fellow sojourners. As we walk through this world together, even simple decency and empathy exalt all humanity.
(9)
For those trapped in the mundane, discovery awakens. Venturing beyond habitual bounds, we encounter new cultures ablaze with fresh perspective. Immersing in foreign customs, our minds stretch to accommodate unimagined worldviews. As we navigate unfamiliar streets or tongue-twisting cuisine, our once-drab existence saturates into technicolour vibrancy.
Every exploration unfurls new insight. Backpacking through distant villages reveals generosity amid hardship. Volunteer work overseas uncovers not only structural inequities but also universal hopes. Unrestricted by our social tribes at home, conversations with strangers impart wisdom.
As we open ourselves to different people, places, and ideas, they reshape our very lens on life. We comprehend realities outside the narrow sweep of daily experience. Empathy swells for those handed alternate lots. Once-strange concepts become rich opportunities for growth.
The mundane recedes as discovery’s adventure enlarges our life’s circumference. We relinquish expectations about normalcy or safety. Unfettered, we welcome sensations that both unsettle and exhilarate. Seeking beauty and meaning beyond the familiar, we pledge ourselves to lifelong wonder.
On return, familiar terrain never looks quite the same after witnessing life’s endless diversity. The foreign no longer intimidates but rather compels with its vibrant otherness. Once lacking context, now the humdrum overflows with appreciation for the everyday privileges of choice, agency, and stability. We rediscover adventures yet unfolding even on routine’s doorsteps, needing only fresh eyes to behold them.
(10)
The quest to reclaim life's vibrancy remains endless yet profoundly fulfilling. It demands the courage to leave comforts that have grown stale and restrictive. But more than mere change, it means embracing each moment as ripe with hidden significance. Adventure hums disguised within unremarkable hours if we beckon it through curiosity unfurled.
Reanimating the faded landscape first necessitates seeing it with new eyes. Fresh attention exposes beauty camouflaged in routine—the flocks of birds migrating overhead, the couple sharing whispered jokes at the next cafe table. Mundane tasks become meaning-soaked meditations when awareness heightens tastes, textures, and sensations.
Enchantment takes root when we till the soil of imagination and wonder despite stones of cynicism. Yet to fuel such a vivid existence requires more than an external shift alone. Transformation summons inner revolution—reconnecting to one's deepest calling, that sacred flame of authentic spirit flickering under life's accumulated burdens.
Uncovering this seed buried within proves the most rewarding harvest, fulfilling beyond any outward-roaming. Self-excavation liberates the words, sounds, and colours comprising our soul's native language. By speaking ourselves plainly, fears and false narratives wither in light of profound truth.
At last, we stand fully seen and known under the skies of vast possibility. Every luminous facet of talent, passion, and purpose entrusted uniquely to us sparks incandescence. The inner heart's resurrected blaze fuels vitality enough to give ourselves and the world all we have to offer. Its radiance attracts others who would warm their lives with its glowing embers.
Together, voyagers gather, telling tales richly hued by wisdom reclaimed during sojourns lost and found. Around this fellowship's fire all belong: laughter, song, and unshed tears. No longer trudging but dancing to life’s hurried rhythms and gentle melodies.
On such odysseys, there is no ultimate destination, for the journey itself proves purpose enough when illuminated within. Yet wayfarers still whisper of myriad untracked frontiers awaiting those bold enough to chart course by passion’s inner star ever beckoning: onward.
postscript
What’s been working for you this week?
It has been quite some time since I have experienced such clarity of thought and purpose. That tends to happen when you put in the work to reflect deeply on where you’ve been in life. When you engage in that kind of thoughtful self-reflection, new possibilities seem to open up regarding where you might go next. You’re then faced with consciously deciding which of those possibilities to pursue. There’s truth to the idea that, as we get older, we care less and less about what other people think of us. Through life experience, we gain greater confidence in our own perspective and priorities. As I wrote the preceding lines, my mind drifted back to the first time I heard Bruce Springsteen’s “No Surrender” and how powerfully the lyrics moved me then and continue to inspire me now, as I face into the wind, not so much to grow young again but to sleep beneath peaceful skies. Anyway, that’s what’s going on with me. What’s going on with you?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Clay
No Surrender