Seekers

Our time here, living amongst all this rock and water on a little sphere spinning in space, is very short. And the end, for some, is near, even if they can not see it. Yet, despite all this, we spend our precious, uncertain quantity of time striving. We grasp at love in imagined, silver-screen fantasies, we look to avoid suffering like an ant trying to escape the rain; always seeking. But seeking what? Some say we are looking for meaning--for some significance for our own existence; others are sure we are only seeking our own pleasures. There are those that say we are yearning for truth or transcendence.

 

Regardless of what may actually be the case, the question arises, "how will we live well amidst all this striving".  

Of the many things we seek, every shade and hue can be found. But one thing is common: seeking. And that one commonality of our individual experience of living is the very fulcrum upon which human relationships balance. Sometimes we seek things that are at odds with our fellows, sometimes we seek things that align. Out of the the various conflicts and harmonies of all this seeking, nearly all situations of the human experience manifest. The mundane banality of it all is seen every day: "I want this, but she wants that"; "he won't quit, but we want him gone"; "you would like to buy this, she would like to sell it"; "we want control; they want dominance"; etc etc. The seeking-nature of life is everywhere apparent.  

So this brings us back to the question: how do we live well amidst all this striving. Obviously, we can not seek to simply impose our will or mindset upon those about us--this only increases the potential for conflict. Nor can we only seek to constantly convert those near by through good will and aligning what we seek with what others seek--this eventually leads to oppressive personal compromise or blind allegiance. If we are concerned with the question above (which all certainly are not), it is often more fruitful to concentrate only on how we, as individuals, deal with this seeking-nature of life.  

The first step in living well with this reality is accepting it as reality. We will always seek, others will always seek, the scales will always tip back and forth. We are seekers, not finders, not keepers; we seek, and we always will.