Really Livin'

"Those who discover these words live, really live, body and soul, they're bursting with health." -- about wisdom, in Proverbs 4, The Message translation

Some other words from Proverbs 4 that gave me hope early in my spiritual journey: "The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day."
I'm no longer quite so idealistic: the reality of everyday hasn't seemed 'ever brighter' and so I've experienced discouragement plenty. I've been feeling kinda discouraged lately.
But I consciously remind myself of those things for which I am thankful, and that bring me to greater love.
- Learning, and passing along what I learn
- Looking for beauty: there are so many things that please my senses and spirit such as color, scent, blossoms, and all of nature that points me to a majestic Creator
- Listening for God: who is enormously mysterious and evasive to me, but still fascinating to attend to
- Loving: being loved and sharing love

Lately I have been looking at enneagram material; I am deciding that my number is most likely a “ONE” which is the perfectionist. I recognize my tendency to push ever harder when under stress. The enneagram suggestion is to watch for the tendency to move to the negative side of a FOUR: feeling indignant because expectations are not met, turning anger inward, becoming depressed, losing trust in self and/or feeling unloved and unlovable. Rather, ONES can cultivate the positive side of a SEVEN of being fun-loving, spontaneous, imaginative, charming, happy.
“The special gift, or fruit of the spirit, that marks mature persons of any type is always the reverse of the root sin. The fruit of the spirit of the ONE is cheerful tranquility… Many integrated ONES say that three things help them to achieve this goal: prayer, love, and nature…That is why I have to see to it that I fall in love with somebody or something every day…without nature, without love, and without God, ONES can scarcely get to the space of cheerful serenity and patience, but remain aggressive idealists and ideologues who condemn others and demand that they improve themselves and be perfect by their lights.” P 54-55, The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective by Richard Rohr

That contains a good reminder for me: to be really livin' I do need to to be quietly communing in listening prayer, to be enjoying all things of nature, and to be focusing on those things I love.

What is really livin' for you?