[I Was Naked]
When I Wrote This43 Things
2007-06-03
I ran across this site today, named simply enough 43things.com .
The purpose of this social site is to list 43 things you'd like to do, goals that can be serious, silly or anything in between. You also can find others on the site who are after the same goals, see how they are doing, get inspired by others, and accomplish your goals. I like the question below the search box " What do you want to do with your life?" Just type your answer in, and see who shares those same aspirations a you do.
But this can be a useful tool to keep ourselves accountable to ourselves, and help organize our thoughts and processes to get us there.
I know what my goals are. I live them, breathe them, and hold onto them. I don't know as personal as they are, I would publish them on the internet where anyone could potentially stumble upon them, but I at least listed two, with the intention of going back after I've put some thought into it. Well, I just thought of another goal, this one is easy to achieve, as it only involves cleaning the garage and installing an air conditioner today. Not really list worthy, but enough to get me offline and get something accomplished before the really hot humid weather hits.
The truth of the matter is, I have a habit of internalizing what I need to do, because as I used to kid my friends, "never a goal, always an ulterier motive." Which if we are honest with ourselves, probably why we do half the things we do. Not that the end always justifies the means, just a fact of life. I'm not a list maker, unless I am at work and several people are coming at me at once with several requests, then I find a task list necessary.
I honestly hold myself to the tenent in the back of my mind, as I've stated before in my posts, that it is all about Peace and Purpose. Peace in our lives, and purpose in our soul. I typed that phrase into the box, I was the only one listed with that goal, worded that way. Its not that I feel other people don't want that, but maybe they are focusing on the 43 Things that they may believe will give them something that they don't even know they are looking for. I was fortunate enough to hear those words at Bonnie Baily's funeral years back. Those words stuck with me, because to me it was the simplest explanation for the meaning of life. The other words I hold onto that is from one of my favorite motivational books, 'How To Be Happy Damnit' is The purpose of your life is to find the purpose of your life. It would be ridiculous to go through life and not think it meant anything. I'm not so stupid though to believe we are all meant for greatness and recognition. Too many of us. Sometimes its ok to just be the salt of the earth. Though ironically those are the people who hold more worth, yet may not realize it. The following is taken from The Answer Bank, follow along, you'll see what I mean.
The question is: What is the meaning of 'salt of the earth'?
A. It means thoroughly good types. The origin is the Bible, from Jesus' sermon of the Mount, quoted in St Matthew's gospel: 'Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, werewith shall it be salted?' ( Translated as -You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?)
The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable says it suggests that the disciples should give the world an interesting flavour, and not that they were simply jolly good chaps. Super.
Q. How is it used now?
A. According to the Oxford Dictionary of Idioms, 'the salt of the earth' is now used to describe 'a person or persons of great kindness, reliability or honesty'. People like lollipop ladies and shepherds. This backs up another claim for the origin of the saying.
Q. What's that?
A. In the Moroccan city of Fez, the Jewish quarter (Mallah) is very old and was home to Jews who did a lot of salt mining. They were considered very useful to the community, and it is claimed that the expression 'salt of the earth' originated here.
Q. So anything described as 'salt' is valuable?
A. Yes. The Romans paid their soldiers an allowance of salt called a salarium - hence our word salary, and the phrases 'worth one's salt' and 'true to one's salt'. And if you 'salt a mine', you add valuable ore or something similar to make potential buyers think that they're getting something worthwhile.
Q. Is it the same idea for 'salting an account'?
A. Yes. That's when you put such a high value on something that you raise its market value. Of course, salt is traditionally a mark of social worth.
Q. How does that work?
A. To 'sit below the salt' means that someone has low social standing. It comes from an old custom of placing the family 'saler' (salt cellar) halfway down a long dining table. Those seated furthest away were the lowest rank. And people of distinction sat 'above the salt', near the head of the table.
Q. Should all this be taken with a pinch of salt?
A. This expression, from the Latin cum grano salis, means that there's a grain of truth in it. What? Don't you trust us?
So you see, its ok not to always aspire to fame, celebrity status or worry about our 15 minutes of fame. There are hero's and zero's and everything in between. I think every life counts and only if you give up for whatever reason, and do yourself in, before you find your meaning, is the only way to be a zero. The other side of it though, that we see with celebrities of any note, is believing your own publicity, which accounts for the idiotic things they do and beliving they are above the law. I value the ordinary hero's and the great ones who have gone on and done the things we don't have the fortitude or ability to do, but we all benefit from. It certainly makes me wonder if they had a list with 43 things to accomplish before they died.
surrogate (2007-06-03)
Nice post. I don't have enough goals to keep a list. I have about five that haven't changed since I was about thirty and I keep inching toward them; a slug fearing that salt you spoke of, and so making my way around it, small little squirms at a time.
blak000 (2007-06-03)
Nice post. I've been a member of 43 things for a month. Got to get around to actually using it, though!
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