Livsnjutare

Livsnjutare (n.) – Origin: Swedish – Definition: One who loves life deeply and lives it to the extreme.

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. – Joe Lewis

I have visited this theme previously but here is a new word and so here we go again.  I will admit that I have done some pretty daring things in my life.  Some call them idiotic things and for sure, sometimes I feel that I might have bit off more than I could chew.  Some say I am lucky to be alive to even talk about living life to the extreme.

Paragliding in Merida, Venezuela with Guamanchi Tours

Flying in the morning.. looking out the window reflecting on where I am going.

Skydiving in Higuerote, Venezuela with Skydive Venezuela

Sailing on wind power in San Francisco Bay

Canyoning in Merida, with Guamanchi Tours

Barinas Guamanchi Rafting Trip

Don’t you ever get the feeling that all your life is going by and you’re not taking advantage of it? Do you realize you’ve lived nearly half the time you have to live already? ― Ernest Hemingway

The advantage of living my life to the fullest and to the extreme is that I do not have a bucket list.  I have no regrets.  I have carpe diem’d every part of my life.  I do not think I will be sitting at the end of my life wondering why I didn’t do or try the things I had always dreamed of or wanted to do.

It is not the years in your life but the life in your years that counts. – Adlai Stevenson

In exchange for this daring life.  I am still alive.  I am still trying new adventures and activities. Admittedly at a slightly slower pace and slightly less extreme – (falling hurts more now than it used to)!!

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, I used everything you gave me. – Erma Bombeck

Lives well lived: the art of living.; Living Well; MOVING FROM LIVING TO LIVING WELL; The lesson of Happy Life; 5 Differences Between a Happy Life and a Crappy Life; I Just Want To Be Happy; What is the Way to Make Life Happy; With a camera, every place is magical … even an ordinary arrow on the ground; Either a daring adventure, or nothing; A Daring Escape

wacky

“I don’t understand your specific brand of crazy, but I do commend your devotion to it. -Truth to his ex”  ~~ Lani Lynn Vale

wacky – adj – “crazy, eccentric,” 1935, variant of whacky (n.) “fool,” late 1800s British slang, probably ultimately from whack “a blow, stroke,” from the notion of being whacked on the head one too many times.  Funny or amusing in a slightly odd or peculiar way.

“Sometimes it’s the crazy people that bring out the best in us”
~~ Aishabella Sheikh

wack (n.)  “crazy person,” 1938, back-formation from wacky. Adjective in slang sense of “worthless, stupid,” is attested from late 1990s.  Phrases Synonymous with wacky  *  out to lunch.

“My insane mind wants to create a world,
where craziness is treated normal.”
― Luffina Lourduraj

bonkers, zany, cracked, absurd, batty, dotty, screwy, preposterous, harebrained, quirky, bananas, cockeyed, softheaded, loopy, crazy, demented, foolish, peculiar, offbeat, etc

Funny or amusing in a slightly odd or peculiar way

Displaying a lack of sensibleness or judgment

Not having a sound state of mind

Causing laughter and providing entertainment

“I know you. Inside and out, Sara.

I know you, and I’ve accepted it all.

Every bit of the crazy.

And I love you anyway remember?” 

~~ Emme Rollins

I once had an anonymous evaluation completed on me and it went something like this.  “I don’t understand why someone “like Sami” who seems to love her job, loves to laugh and have fun, and works very hard, is not respected by any of her colleagues.”

I never set out to be weird. It was always the other people who called me weird. ~~Frank Zappa

At first I was a bit taken aback.  As anyone would be. What me?  Not respected?  I mean I sort of got it, but also wondered why my hard work was not very noticed. I tried changing my clothes, my attitude, my hair, my mind, my presentation, my everything about me that made me… well, me.

Over time, I have come to realize that no matter how much I change, I will always be essentially me.  I have long realized that this fact is something that will not please a lot of people or get me promoted.  I will never rise to the top of the pile.  I was sad for a minute.  I was frustrated for two minutes.  It took me several decades to understand this issue.

“Your importance can’t be measured by the normal things

that many others

achieved in their lives diplomas, job money… but by

the things they cannot ,

all the impossible dreams and hard getting goals which

often called the crazy thoughts can create the true meaning of

importance insanity always lead to miracles.”
~~ Marwa Zaghdoud

Now at 55, I realize how much time I wasted trying to be what I was never going to be able to be.  How much energy it took to try to change what I personally consider to be the best part of me.

“The pig was always there staring at me, as I took off my clothes, I wondered if he could be turned on by me. We live in such a crazy world, where people find themselves in the wrong body and they seek permanent change, I wonder if one day a pig woke up and realised he is in the wrong body. I think I was going crazy, I had a lot of thoughts and no one to talk to.”
~~ Lunga Noélia Izata 

Essentially, I am awkward, upbeat, zany, madcap, offbeat, outlandish, and absurd.  I have made friends, family, and strangers laugh.  Yes, I get a lot of eye rolls as well.  I drive my bosses crazy and many folks think I am just plain nuts.  I am no longer trying to deny or cover this up.  The advantage of being older and wiser, is you can melt down all that garbage and understand that us crazies are often healthier and more clear-headed than the “normal” ones.  Further, the normals are often just as crazy if not more so.  We are likely just more aware of it and able to go with the flow.

“Do you know what’s cheaper than therapy? Admitting you’re batshit crazy and running with it.”  ~~ Dan Pearce

“You look like a crazy person,” Adri said.
“You look boring and average,” Lily replied.”
~~ Jodi Lynn Anderson

“We must thank to the crazy people

because by looking

at their achievements

or the failures, we can decide whether we have to

inject some craziness

to our own lives or not!”
~~Mehmet Murat ildan

“Al final puede que la sociedad entera no sea más que una especie de congregación de lunáticos, formado por miles de chalados cada uno”
~~ Natsume Sōseki

zicharon; sherri; scott; oxfordeagle; richard; loriednil; reena; kathy; dale; kdd; WackySnacky Thegirl; custard; lucid; language; catladysings; compound; anxiety; bop; method; mon; dry; gladgame; Weird and Wacky Creatures; moonshine; Montanaclarks; lostmum; Wild, weird and wacky street signs; wacky signs; Wacky Bird; Wacky Wednesday; Wacky Wildlife; Snow And Flakes; writingbug; Mitch; joseyphina; MJ;  reflect; isadora; rad; anita; aviana; muse; amycherry

Day 5 – If you want to be, beeeee

“It’s never overreacting to ask for what you want and need.”
― Amy Poehler

If you want to be a writer, write. If you want to be a singer, sing. If you want to be happy, laugh.  If you want to be a detective, investigate.  If you want to be a world traveler, move.

“We all spend so much time not saying what we want, because we know we can’t have it. And because it sounds ungracious, or ungrateful, or disloyal, or childish, or banal. Or because we’re so desperate to pretend that things are OK, really, that confessing to ourselves they’re not looks like a bad move. Go on, say what you want. … Whatever it is, say it to yourself. The truth will set you free. Either that or it’ll get you a punch in the nose. Surviving in whatever life you’re living means lying, and lying corrodes the soul, so take a break from the lies for just one minute.”
― Nick Hornby

Realistically, everyone wants to be something.  Sometimes it is hard to know what you want but you will never know what you want if you are not moving towards something.  Anything.  I am always surprised at how many people are able to express what they want but unable or unwilling to do the work to get there.  My theory and action plan for getting to the things I want is to move.  I don’t always get what I thought I wanted, but I always get what I ended up needing.   

“Well, if you can’t have what you want, you could try to want what you have.”
― Gillian Shields

What i have finally discovered… What I really want… Is what everyone eventually really wants.  Laughter, love, and life.  What else is there?

“If you don’t know what you want, you’ll never find it.
If you don’t know what you deserve, you’ll always settle for less.
You will wander aimlessly, uncomfortably numb in your comfort zone, wondering how life has ended up here.
Life starts now, live, love, laugh and let your light shine!”
― Rob Liano

Other posts I really like:  daly; musings; fluffy; laughter; mueller; finger; 59; sungmo; sbd; nansfarm; bumpkin; teeth; ellie; gunrose; balloons; whilst; weathered; toy; wires; dreams; piggy; pizzazz; herbs; sunflower; wind; 

The good ole days weren’t always good, and tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems. ~Billy Joel

Sometimes we get caught up in the crazy. It’s unavoidable. It’s right in front of us … ALL THE TIME!! We are what we eat and we eat what we see. We are the stories we have created. Nothing wrong with that… usually it’s a pretty ok place to be.

“We are not trapped by our thoughts. What we generally do, however, is create thoughts that trap us.” (p.162)”
― Joshua David Stone, A Beginner’s Guide to the Path of Ascension

We move through these stories rarely realizing that we are just piece actors in parts we have developed in realities we have invented. Stuck in the now or stuck in the new or stuck in the sticky web of our imagination. Often not realizing that we can change the words, the act, the reality just by changing the view.. the viewpoint.. the point of view. I am always eventually bringing myself back to my theme on perspective.

We look back on the past with fond memories of the things we think we ate. Foods, friends, fun, dinners, parks, and whatever made you feel happy and real.  

Always forgetting the mad rush from job to job to home to school to the hospital to a friend’s side to a parents death to the birth of a child to the torment of a lost love to the current political crisis to the next election to the (and the list goes on and on and on).

“We all live in a house on fire, no fire department to call; no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked in it.”
― Tennessee Williams, The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore

We eat these things every day and drown in their pools of darkness. And yet, when they pass.. and all things pass, we usually recover and go on and on and on. Until the next bit of madness consumes us.

My dad is my biggest current consumption.  He turns 80 in October.  That’s his goal.  He wants to eat 80.   80 is BIG.  HUGE.  That’s almost a century for you non-math folks.  He wants to dance with it, sing with it, and celebrate it.  He’s worked hard for it, so why shouldn’t he be able to?  Unfortunately, cancer is consuming HIM quickly.  He’s handling it like a trooper, a real pro.  This is actually more than I can say for myself. 

Catch on fire and people will come for miles to see you burn. John Wesley

He has no regrets BUT he has so many stories yet to tell (said in a very whiny, child-like voice).  I’m happy I was able to spend last month with him, my sister, my kids, and my grandkids.  BUT it really wasn’t enough time (voice even more whiny).  It’s not like we never spent time together.  We spent time when we could but we were and are still always so busy… but we were and are still always so broke …but we were and are still always so consumed with the chaos that we are surrounded in.. that we surround ourselves in..  But.. but.. but.. now… now… we rush home.. we rush to this catastrophe.. to this sadness.. to this dark night of the soul to this physical burning of a huge part of our lives, of our story.

BUT.. (again the buts) this will also pass.  It’s not like it will ever go away completely but it will be reduced to another chaotic meal in my life.  I mean.. not everyone makes it to 80 right?  Everyone’s story goes away eventually.  Even the best stories fade.  A landmark in our lives didn’t just fade, it disappeared completely.  As if it had never existed.. had never ever even been there.  A hill. A hill with a tree.  A hill with a tree with windchimes in it.  A hill with a tree with windchimes in it and carved out stones laying beside it.  A hill that represented other folks that faded… disappeared completely.. as if they had never existed. Not only did the hill fade (disappear).. but a giant metal horse and a baby horse also faded (disappeared).  Literally, not figuratively, disappeared. 

It was part of a story that we had all created in our lives.  A story that we did not think would ever disappear.  Which in retrospect is silly.  We had trespassed for 50 years onto this property because it was mom’s place.  Still is.. even though it is gone.  Even though she is gone.  Characters in a play is all.  Nothing remains when the curtains close.

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. Lao Tzu

So goes the story.  So the story goes.  The past, the present, and now the future.  It really isn’t as bad as it seems.  You just have to write it.. and re-write it.. and right it and re- right it. Here’s to my hope for the future.

Wish I were a dog.. wish I had a dog!!

Times have been rough.. people being mean and careless about the plight of others…  out of money.. bad health news …. family fighting… Well…no matter how you’re feeling, a little dog gunna love you

 

Animals have come to mean so much in our lives. We live in a fragmented and disconnected culture. Politics are ugly, religion is struggling, technology is stressful, and the economy is unfortunate. What’s one thing that we have in our lives that we can depend on? A dog or a cat loving us unconditionally, every day, very faithfully.              ~~~~~Jon Katz