The Zeal and the Zest of Life...

I use this space to run down my own obsessions, and lately my obsessions are inspired by my re-reading of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." Why am I obsessed with this text? I have never owned or ridden a motorcycle. I figured I'd for sure kill myself if I ever tried getting on a motored bike. I stick to the manual kind. I can't imagine fixing or maintaining a motorcycle either. I have very little patience, I am a "shoot from the hip" kind of character, I'm not good with tools, I have a great knack for breaking things, and leaving the pieces in a heap. When Pirsig talks about the division between Rational/Analytical folks vs Romantic folks, I fall solidly, smack dab in the  middle of the Romantic category. I am all about the groove, the feel, the vibe, the aesthetic nature of  love & life.

But I have had lots of experience in the Zen mode of being. Years of dedicated meditation. I have tried many forms and practices: Zen, Transcendental Meditation, Creative Visualization, Simple Breathing, Chanting, Drumming, Walking Meditation too. So much of that "peace of mind" talk totally resonates with me. But I also am attracted to Logic, Rationality, the analytic mode. I guess I pinball around from thoughts and modes. That's just the way I roll.

I think the book inspires me because it poses a few big questions, and then brings it all down into the real world.

Two words cropped up last night while I was reading the book that grabbed and lit me up:

Gumption - "the ability to decide what is the best thing to do in a particular situation, and to do it with energy and determination..."

Enthusiasm - a feeling of energetic interest in a particular subject or activity and an eagerness to be involved in it..."

Yes, that's the key right there, isn't it? To have the gumption to tackle things that crop up in our lives, and to bring enthusiasm to everything we do. To spend our time fully engaged, lit up, on fire, heart, head, and spirit aligned and working at some kind of fever pitch. 

By the way, "The noun enthusiasm comes from the Greek word enthousiasmos, from enthous, meaning “possessed by a god, inspired.” It was originally used in a derogatory sense to describe excessive religious zeal. Today both the religious and derogatory connotations are gone from enthusiasm, but the zeal has survived. Use it to describe great excitement or interest, like what you feel when you’re doing something that you really, really enjoy."

Right, you know, live your life possessed with an animating energy that fully engages you with the beauty and mystery of existence.