Daily Cascade

Instructions for Life

“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”
Mary Oliver

What do you think about this quote and would Mary Oliver's advice work for you?

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I don't know if Mary Oliver's advice would work for me, but, in a nutshell, it seems to be good advice for living a meaningful life.

A meaningful life could be found in the way we look at things. For example, some glitches have been showing up in my life and in the way things are done. Instead of blaming ai or someone else or my own ineptitude, I'm trying to sail with the tide, and it seems to be working for me.

It isn't always easy, but I try to pay attention. Paying attention is to be present, to notice the texture of ordinary moments, the tone beneath someone’s words, the way light moves across a room. It asks me to resist or stop living on autopilot. Attention is an act of respect toward the world, toward others, and toward my own inner life.

Furthermore, attention leads to wonder, which is a natural thing. When I truly notice, the world reveals itself and its miracles to me. "Becoming astonished" can rise from a bird’s call, a child’s question, a sudden kindness...etc. In other words, with astonishment, I let awe overcome any dulled-out certainty.

As to "telling about it," this is what I am doing right this minute. When I tell about what astonishes me I am translating my experiences into writing, storytelling, art, or memory. This connects me to others and preserves something important or touching that might otherwise may vanish. This is because most anything gains importance when given voice, as we writers know so well.

Although this, Mary Oliver's advice, works as if it is a pocket-sized philosophy, it has used a simple direct language and it works. Especially because it is vast in its use and implication.