Each year as fall and winter approach, the animals and birds start their journey to their winter homes. Some of us will do the same thing, moving to a warmer climate to avoid those cold winters.

It’s interesting how this approach to life also impedes our daily thoughts. How we tend to migrate to what makes us comfortable. Some of us like to curl up on a sofa or favorite chair and read a book or watch one of our favorite movies. Some will throw on running shoes and hit the trails. One might dispute that they are not the same. Some people I know that get such great joy out of running would argue they are. The big difference is that for the runner you must first work at it until your body starts looking for that rush you get. It becomes our mental state of mind. One might have a glass of a favorite wine, lite the fire in the fireplace and sit back letting our mind and body slide into deep relaxation. We have trained our brains in a way that fits our desires, what makes us comfortable, and what we feel gives our life stability, and in many ways purpose.

Running, walking, reading, participating in a sport ( I personally enjoy golfing), or just meditating is great. We should desire some level of this in our lives. It’s also important to realize that becoming content with our daily lives, we have allowed some level of complacency to settle in.

As a runner, we enjoy that rush we get, but as our body ages, we need to recognize that maybe it is time to take brisk walks instead. As a reader, we need to explore new authors gaining new perspectives. Maybe it is examining the other side of a topic that we feel strongly against. We should not allow complacency to inhibit our ability to look outside the box. We should look to reinforce our current beliefs or possibly alter our position just a little.

Opening one’s mind to things outside our comfort zone is difficult. Our subconscious mind drive our feelings. Many times we dismiss thing around us just because we didn’t see them or we dismissed the thought before we took the time to think about it. We didn’t agree or thought it was a waste of time.

It truly takes a conscious effort to eliminate complacency from our lives.

I once asked myself the question: What is this life all about anyway?

Allowing myself the freedom to explore this thought, raised a key question. Did I evolve from something or was I created by someone? Logic would say of course I was created by my mom and dad. But what came first? The chicken or the egg? How did this all start?

Watching the discovery channel, I’m told that it all started millions of years ago. That my great, great————, great grand father was really just a single cell that randomly happened.  If this is the case than I guess that we are only on this earth for what we call our life time. Once this is over we just decay away too nothing but a memory in someone’s mind.

But how could this cell be randomly started with the built-in DNA requirement to make me into a human complete with brain and mind to think with? Is it then possible that I was created? If so, then I do have a real purpose. Maybe there is more to this life and possibly even death.

Exploring these questions is something each of us should attempt to do. We should not just accept what we are told on TV, in our museums, in our schools, and even in our places of worship. We need to decide for ourselves what is true and to do this we have to overcome the complacency of our mind. Directing our lives and not allowing someone else to control our thoughts and beliefs can be difficult. The satisfaction of expanding our knowledge, allowing ourselves to stand firmly on our beliefs, never hiding from a discussion, and always being able to have open dialog with those who have a belief different than ours, is the key to a full and robust life.

So until tomorrow when the sun comes up again, I will continue my quest. Please feel free to join me on my adventure and chime in anytime. Your thoughts and ideas are welcome.