Life and Stuff

Image by cdrummbks via Flickr

I wouldn’t necessarily say that a book has actually changed my life.  But I do occasionally read a book that sticks with me and changes some aspect of my life or thought process.  “The Art of Happiness” by the Dalai Lama happens to come to mind.  While I am not officially of the Buddhist faith, I do have a great appreciation for this way of thinking.  Certain things written in this book (particularly on grief) have really stuck with me and I tend to remind myself of these passages when I am struggling with something in my life that is beyond my control.

Related articles

• Dalai Lama’s 18 Rules for Living (lowercaseliving.wordpress.com)
• Who Is the Dalai Lama? (brainz.org)

I have wide variety of tastes when it comes to my television viewing.  I’m a big fan of dramas that have an eccentric character or unusual personality like that of Hugh Laurie in House M.D. or Tim Roth in Lie To Me.  I especially enjoy crime dramas for the element of mystery and suspense.  Some sitcoms are appealing, but they are few and far between.  I generally dislike all reality TV shows except for those that air on The History Channel.  For the most part, I feel like reality TV is so unrealistic and staged that it is difficult to enjoy.

via Flickr”]

I am generally a very practical shopper, so I would probably spend the $500 on items that my family needed.  Currently, I think I would be most likely to use the money to purchase a deep freeze so that we could start freezing food we bought on sale or in bulk.  I would be most likely to make this purchase at Sears, as I have been very satisfied with the quality and value of their products in the past.  However, if another store in the mall happened to have a better deal, I would not be against making the purchase there.  If there was any money left over from the purchase, I might be tempted to splurge on a new pair of high heel shoes or some cute clothes from the clearance rack.

For the most part, I can say my life has been fulfilled. I’ve done most of the things I’ve wanted to do; seen most of the places I’ve wanted to see; and completed a lot of my goals. I’ve only been around twenty years, but these feet have walked a lot of miles, so to speak. There are only a few things left to do in my goal book before I have done everything, but my last goal is to live past 50. If I complete that goal, I will be completely satisfied. I’ve got a ways to go, but I’m ready for the challenge.