“Even the most miserable life is better than a sheltered existence in an organized society where everything is calculated and perfected.”
― Federico Fellini, La Dolce Vita
Here lies a dilemma for most of us, if not all content to embrace the apparent security that a fat bank account, status, and the good life can provide for all wishing to fit in to the narrow parameters offered by success, as understood by the successful person masquerading behind a mask of happiness suitably fashioned to deceive all impressed by appearances.
Being at peace with ones self is never a matter of seeking success as it is predictably understood, rather a growing awareness that contentment is a matter of gradually becoming satisfied with the simple pleasures offered by life's daily invitation to surmount every obstacle that appears in front of our eyes as if to say, grow a little wiser learning to be happy that another puzzle has been solved by our choice to engage with life, our partner encouraging us to face our struggles with a determination to construct a life worth our investment in the lives of those, who as if by chance enter our orbit to add value to our meaningful life.
Puzzles are a mind exercising lesson demanding our full attention leading us to decipher the key that we seek to understand that a happy and fulfilling life is never built with an eye on impressing our neighbours, rather our free choice to discover that joy is our reward for having invested our time helping others navigate the ebbs, and flows of life's passage.
Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" (1) transcends time for Federico's masterpiece engages his audiences to think beyond the appearances of success, often a world filled with emptiness, and nothingness calculated to destroy self esteem leading to a worthless existence.
Happiness has a well established track record being elusive for those who believe that self satisfaction can be grown out of self focus.
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
~ Matthew 25
(1) La Dolce Vita (English subtitles)
end
Responses