My readings and musings over the last few months have crystallized two deep desires in me. The first is enjoying and being present for each moment. Few things sharpen your appreciation for the moment like a baby, and as I've grown in my understanding of and experience with meditation over the past year, I've come to recognize that the degree of fulfillment in life is largely determined by how undistracted a person is. Frequently entering a state of flow is a necessary condition for the good life. So whether it's feeding a baby at 5 AM or having a conversation with Mindy or swimming intervals in the pool or knocking out notes at work, I try to achieve complete focus on each moment, each appearance in consciousness-- each breath, each stroke, each thought, each interaction, each emotion. Fostering that practice will be the cornerstone of my next year. Mindy can't wait!
I'll also be exploring the subconscious over the next year. Whereas mindfulness meditation completely centers on the contents of consciousness, dream work and active imagination (which I'll cover in a future post) are practices that bring to awareness the deep well of the unconscious. Carl Jung trailblazed this field over a century ago, and by a stroke of luck I obtained an anthology of his work at Boone United Methodist's Fall Bazaar, pictured at the right below. I'm sure I'll post more on this as the year progresses and I have time to work through more of his writings. The middle book, Robert A. Johnson's Inner Work, explores the topics of dream work and active imagination in a practical way, and though I'm only now starting to dig into this book, I'm already excited to share some of the techniques and insights I gain.
As for hobbies, I will of course continue to train for and compete in triathlons, kayak as time, relationships, and rainfall allow, garden, read, and write. I'm also currently eating keto, and plan to dive back into the bongos later in the year. But my most recent passion has been stirred by the third book in the photo, Fiery Ferments-- a fun, practical, and educational exploration of the making of hot sauces and fermented foods that is the perfect marriage of my love for microbiology, gardening, and spice. I can't wait to experience and share the resulting concoctions! Thanks, Michael and Meghan!
Professionally, my work as a hospitalist will morph as Boone's new Family Medicine residency starts up in July. I'll be doing more teaching and precepting (which I love to do), and I've already started doing more bedside ultrasound and procedures (which I also enjoy doing) in anticipation of teaching the residents these topics. I'll also continue providing oversight and and medical care at the Community Care Clinic.
So like most of you reading this, my life is full of moving parts. Meditation and taking time to silently reflect will continue to help me understand why I act and feel the way I do in each moment, and I'm grateful that mindfulness is enjoying its time in the cultural sun. But a topic far less prominent but no less essential is how to understand our subconscious. The vast well from which the contents of consciousness emerge remains a mystery for most-- but it doesn't have to be that way! I'm excited to start unraveling that mystery, and share what I learn with all you lovely readers.
Memento mori, memento vivere.
Dan
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