“I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life . . . to put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” ~ Henry David Thoreau
In 1854 Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden – Or, Life In the Woods” was published. It details Thoreau’s experiences while living in a cabin he built for himself on the shores of Walden Pond, located near Concord, Massachusetts.
Through solitude, simple living, self-sufficiency, contemplation, and closeness to nature, Thoreau hoped to transcend the “desperate” existence in which he argued most people found themselves. However, there’s no need for you to move to a cabin in the woods in order to live more deliberately. Below you’ll find 29 ways to suck out the marrow of life:
photo credit: Nicholas_T
Seize the Day – “O Captain! My Captain!”
“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. The Latin term for that sentiment is carpe diem. Seize the day. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.” — Mr. Keating, “Dead Poets Society”
In the film “Dead Poets Society”, which is set in 1959, an English teacher–John Keating (played by Robin Williams)–teaches his students at a conservative prep school to seize the day and to live life fully through his teaching of literature and poetry. Here are some words of advice from Mr. Keating on how to seize the day:
- Think for yourself.
- Constantly look at things in a different way.
- Strive to find your own voice.
- Savor words and language.
- Gather at an old Indian cave and take turns reading from Thoreau, Whitman and Shelley.
- Don’t just read poetry, let it drip from your tongue like honey.
(Image taken from here.)
Make More Mistakes . . . You Learn Quicker
When she was 10 years old, SARK–Susan Kennedy–announced to her mother that she was supposed to be “a beacon of hope to the world and write books.” At the age of 55, SARK has written 16 books, in which she combines bright, scribbled pictures and handwritten pages.
Here are some of her suggestions on how to read her books:
“In a shaft of sunlight, beside a bowl of oranges, barefoot.
In the bathtub with many candles and slices of mango.
In white cotton pyjamas, under a comforter with a cat sleeping in a circle.”
And here’s some more of her advice:
- Wear bright togas and meet in a drumming circle.
- Make more mistakes… you learn quicker.
- Swing as high as you can on a swingset, by moonlight.
- Practice radical self-acceptance.
- Keep toys in the bathtub.
- Extend an invitation to a friend to watch movies and eat poptarts.
Read Jim Henson’s “It’s Not Easy Being Green – And Other Things To Consider” and Watch Videos of the Muppets
During his lifetime, Jim Henson encouraged all adults to remain childlike. He credited his childlike-quality for much of his amazing creativity. Here’s how his friends remember him:
“[Jim Henson] changed our lives. He changed the world. And we’ll continue his work, because that’s how inspiration operates. People die, but inspiration lives and grows. Inspired by his gentleness, we’ll fill the world with gentleness. Inspired by his vision, we’ll fill the world with vision. Inspired by his chicken imitation, we’ll fill the world with laughter.”
Before you watch Miss Piggy getting fired in the YouTube video below, take some advice from Kermit the Frog (after all, he has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame): “Here’s some simple advice: Always be yourself. Never take yourself too seriously. And beware of advice from experts, pigs and members of Parliament.”
Take More Risks – If You Fail, Your Psychological Immune System Will Lessen the Negative Impact
Daniel Gilbert is a Harvard College Professor of Psychology and the author of the international bestseller “Stumbling on Happiness”. He explains that people have a remarkable talent for finding ways to soften the impact of negative events.
That is, our psychological immune system moderates bad experiences–such as trying something and failing–, so these experiences don’t end up affecting us as negatively as we expect them to.
When negative things happen, like being left by a spouse or being passed over for a promotion, soon afterwards people start telling themselves things such as:
- “She never was right for me”; or
- “I actually need more free time for my family.”
Therefore, blows such as these don’t turn out to be as devastating as people would have expected them to be.
In addition, our inability to appreciate our resiliency leads us to avoid risks. This is unfortunate since–although most people think they will regret foolish actions more than foolish inactions–as Gilbert indicates: “[S]tudies show that nine out of ten people are wrong. Indeed, in the long run, people of every walk of life seem to regret not having done things much more than they regret things they did.”
So go ahead, take more risks. And if you fail, you’ll get over it. 
photo credit: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³
Imagine You’re 100 Years Old – Ask Yourself What You Would Do Differently
Erma Bombeck–author of “If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?” and “A Marriage Made in Heaven: Or Too Tired for an Affair”, among many other hilarious, bestselling books–wrote about the things she would have done differently if she had her life to live over again, after she found out she was dying of cancer. Some of the things she included were the following:
- I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
- I would have eaten the popcorn in the “good” living room.
- I would have worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
- I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
- I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
At the age of 85 Nadine Stair was asked what she would do differently if she had her life to live over again. Here’s part of her answer:
- I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.
- I would eat more ice cream.
- I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall.
- I would ride more merry-go-rounds.
- I would pick more daisies
And of course, there’s Jenny Joseph’s “Warning, When I Am An Old Woman, I Shall Wear Purple” written in 1961:
WARNING
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people’s gardens . . .
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.
photo credit: Gaetan Lee
Conclusion
A post on living more deliberately would not be complete without mentioning these three YouTube videos:
- Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams
- Paul sings Nessun Dorma
- Susan Boyle – Britains Got Talent 2009 Episode 1
So, how do you plan to suck out the marrow of life?
Related Posts:
- 40 Fun Ideas
- Start 2009 With a Bang: Create a Life List
- 50 Ways to Celebrate Life
- My Resignation From Adulthood
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