I am entering another decade on September 1st. Now I can say that I am really old. There are far fewer years of life ahead of me than there are behind me. I discover an attitude of living only in the present moment rather than worrying about the past or the future. I now often ask myself the question: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE? The same answer keeps coming back. The purpose of life is to experience life in this moment. As I look at the trees outside, the people jogging by and riding their bikes on the trail across the street, the beauty of our landscaping, I experience life.
I often think of my years in philosophy when I thought about the Uncaused Cause of everything. I begin to realize more that there is a power and a love of God in everything and everyone. Those four years of philosophy were very helpful. Then I think of my four years of theology where I learned profound concepts about God. But in these wisdom years now, I realize more and more that there is a Presence of Love in everything and everyone. This Presence is God. And whatever happens to me in life is a life process of opening myself up deeper to God.
Then I think of my four years of psychology where I learned that healing can only come free feeling and embracing our pain. It is never what has happened to me that is the problem in life. It is always what I do with what happens to me that will either be the solution or my lack of doing anything, will certainly cause me serious problems.
All these years of education have not made me smart. They simply pushed me in a direction of experiencing life in a deeper manner.
Now I realize that what is most important is to love others both in thoughts and in actions and to become quiet and listen to God. The embrace of the present moment each day in quiet reflection pushes me deeper into an experience of a God, A Power. A Presence, An Experience that is always Loving and Kind and Wise. It is not a head thing. It is a quiet experience of SOMEONE so big and vast and loving.
The purpose of any religion, philosophy, theology, psychology is to bring me deeper into this experience of the LOVING DIVINE. As I study history, I have noticed that the people who helped make positive changes in their lives seem to have this profound experience of the LOVING DIVINE. This experience motivated these men and women through the centuries to bring more love and kindness into the world. It made no difference what religion they were. It made no difference what part of the world they lived in. The same principles were in all of them: a profound consistent experience of the DIVINE and a loving attitude toward everyone.
When it comes to taking my last breath, the embrace of that present moment will lead me into an eternal moment. I would like people to remember me not at all about how right I was in my proclamations or judgments of people, places and things, movements, politics, religion, philosophy or theology. I simply want people to remember me by how well I loved them.
I am realizing more now that LOVE LASTS FOREVER. COMPASSION IS FOREVER. BRINGING GOODNESS TO OTHERS LASTS FOREVER. Quiet, meditative time each day pushes me profoundly into a GLORIOUS EXPERIENCE OF THE DIVINE. This EXPERIENCE OF THE DIVINE fills me with inner peace and joy and helps me to experience LOVE everywhere and bring LOVE to everyone and everything. There are no enemies in this journey into God. There are no resentments. There is no anger. THERE IS ONLY LOVE which last forever. Getting old is pushing me in the right direction. And everyone one on this planet is in the process of getting older.
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Fred Cavaiani is a licensed marriage & family therapist and limited licensed psychologist with a private practice in Troy. He is the founder of Marriage Growth Center. He conducts numerous programs for groups throughout Michigan. Cavaiani is associate editor and contributing writer for Human Development Magazine. His column in the Legal News runs on Tuesdays. He can be reached at 248-362-3340. His e-mail address is: Fredcavi@yahoo.com and his website is FredsCounselorsCorner.com.
Published: Tue, Sep 01, 2020
