Soul Searching: The Pearl Fisherman’s Meditation   March 18th, 2018

“I am an obscure and patient pearl-fisherman who dives into the deepest waters and comes up with empty hands and a blue face. Some fatal attraction draws me down into the abysses of thought, down into those innermost recesses which never cease to fascinate the strong. I shall spend my life gazing at the ocean of art, where others voyage or fight; and from time to time I’ll entertain myself by diving for those green and yellow shells that nobody will want. So I shall keep them for myself and cover the walls of my hut with them.” – Gustave Flaubert

The inner psychology and beliefs of each person are as entrancing as they are complex. Inside ourselves we can best discover who we are and what we hope to be, and by focusing and peering inward we can better understand our essential perspectives and values. Aldous Huxley once said, “Every person’s memory is their private literature.” Our mix of memories, beliefs, and personal memories offer many chains of personal imagery, impressions, and free intellectual wandering. With such a plethora of personal literature within ourselves people should stop and appreciate the essential qualities and personality they possess. The following experiment requires nothing more than a little time and a commitment to introspection. How often do we take the time to reflect and really examine what we believe, what we want, and how we feel? On an afternoon maybe when the sun is just right, birds are chirping, and “trees are just the right height,” take some time to write and think about the following questions. If you are even more ambitious why not even video log or write down your responses and do this again a year from now or many years later in the future. The questions below are some of the more important questions in life and can tell us a great deal about ourselves, perhaps more than we even wish to know:

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Who am I?

I’m a man in his thirties living life in the Bay Area California. A nonprofit manager, musician, and community builder. A person who values relationships, free thinking, and creative expressions of life. A soft spoken idealist with a big heart and a desire to leave a lasting impression on the world around him.

Who do I want to be?

I want to be a fondly remembered person. I want to create meaningful and powerful experiences in the world of art and inspiration. I want to live a life that’s full. I want to spend my time developing myself and my creative abilities. I want greater financial independence and a passion driven career. I want to see an abundance of beautiful places around the world. I want to experience life with depth and strong relationships. I want to be a person that is loved and respected, an ever-growing person, a person with intelligent and insightful things to say. I want to be a model for a caring, loving, and secular life. I want to be a teacher, an author, an experience maker and a person filled with knowledge and love. I want to be admired and respected for my courage, intellect, kindness, and imagination.

What is the meaning of life?

Meaning is created not handed down through revelation. Language builds culture, provides meaning, and assigns value. This value is supported by a network of people with their habits and expectations in a world of symbolic exchange and status assignments. I believe the meaning of life is created and propped up uniquely by human beings and that life’s value, and what one should do with it, belongs to an individual’s subjectivity and one’s own personal hero story. In interaction with culture, a person must think independently about the meaning of their experience, what events, what moments and opportunities provide the most meaning and substance to them. To me the meaning of life is to live well for oneself and others and to contribute to the progress and enhancement of the human story. Life is lived well if it sustains contentment, reaches its desired dreams, and is experienced fully through a love of the world and other people.

How do I become the person I most want to be?

A disciplined commitment to my creative pursuits. Finding energy and consistency for exercise and personal development. Developing my mind with good sources of knowledge and content. Putting more effort into friendships and relationships. Recovering more freedom, adventure, and excitement in everyday life. Playing music more regularly.

What makes me the happiest?

Spending fun moments with my wife, writing and creating, playing piano, watching great musical performances, traveling to beautiful places, my book and its experiments, great movies and books, time with old friends

What do I believe? What beliefs are most important to me?

I believe in the importance of relationships and in being an honest and caring person.

I believe in the value of originality, open-mindedness, and independent thinking.

I believe that dogmas and cultural traditions need to be challenged in order for the best ideas to grow and thrive.

I believe in the power of the human heart and mind and I believe in the positions of humanism and science.

I believe that music is one of life’s greatest creations.

I believe it is important to understand the relationship between culture and individuals.

I believe that our collective destiny belongs to the quality of our interactions, intentions, and cultural stewardship.

What does my ideal future look like?

An active engaged life filled with learning and creative activity. 

How do I want to live?

I want to live comfortably and modestly in a beautiful place. I prefer to live in the city nearby friends old or new. I want to live near an artistic community with opportunities to play music and explore new ideas. I want to live healthily, adventurously and with limited restrictions.

What is my most valuable contribution?

My empathy, my creativity, and thoughtful approach to understanding situations and other people. I have musical talent, intellectual curiosity, an open mind and an ethical, concerned attitude.

What are the most meaningful things in the world to me?

Of all things, I most value relationships, freedom, creativity, knowledge, and health

What do I want most out of life?

Passion and sustained personal development, excitement, rich relationships and experiences

Before I die I would like to…

Travel Switzerland and Norway, complete and document many more experiments from my book, play with more musical groups, record new music, complete a finished edit of my book, more creative projects, see Japan, live abroad in other parts of the world

Things I want people to remember me for…

My creative works, my musical talent, my intelligence and kindness. My commitment to community and to helping others. A talented writer and thoughtful person with a genuine and caring personality.