A Life Well Lived

If you were to look back on your life right now, however long you have lived, would you say you have lived a good life? What does ‘a good life’ mean to you?

A while ago I started conducting interviews with people over 80 years old. The project is called ‘5000 Years of Wisdom”. I asked them what advice they would offer someone younger about five things – love, work, family, change, and forgiveness. The project took hold and soon it was suggested I ask those in their 60’s, 40’s, and even adolescents. The stories and thoughts shared were fascinating. So were some of the results. Those in their youth and those over 80 often shared similar values. Those in mid-life were less clear.

The search for wisdom, and the definition of a good life are intertwined. The answers will be unique, yet likely follow a similar arc. As we move through life’s phases and chapters we continually evolve. Our experiences broaden and deepen, and we need different things along the way. We see things differently, and in the end, what had seemed like unique components of our lives when we are younger are seen as threads in a common tapestry at the end. Our work life and our family life, our faith and our friends, are all part of the same day.

What are the components of a well lived life for you? Is it having a family, is it travel, is it owning a home, is it having a certain amount in the bank, is it your circle of friends?

And what does it mean to have a well lived career? Is it a title, or a certain salary, or being a leader, or providing a service? Is it being part of something bigger, or being a master craftsman of your own talents?

And when will you know if you have achieved it, or does the pursuit ever end? Is there such a thing as ‘enough’ and when would you know you have reached that state? How do the answers to these questions weave the story of our lives?

I will be exploring all of this in the weeks to come. I invite you to come along for the journey.

A Life Well Lived