There are many purposes in life, but one purpose of life is to discover your calling. The work of life is to develop that calling. And, the meaning of life is to give your calling away as a gift to others.
The ancient philosopher Cicero believed three things about older age. First, that it should be dedicated to service, not goofing off or “golfing off,” although no one was playing golf more than 2,000 years ago. Second, our greatest gift later in life is wisdom, in which learning and thought create a worldview that can enrich others. Third, our natural ability at this point is counsel: mentoring, advising, and teaching others, in a way that does not amass worldly rewards of money, power, or prestige.
If we’re fortunate and diligent enough, we might just find that our relationship with work progresses from having a job to pursuing a career to living one’s calling over the course of our life. I’ve found my calling with MEA. And, the idea of cancer standing in the way of me doing what often feels like a vocation feels just wrong.
When someone is living their calling, they’ve often tapped into some deeper reservoir in themselves (or the collective consciousness) in such a way that their work energizes their soul as opposed to depleting them. It’s almost like “invisible hands” are directing you toward self-actualization and that “in the flow state” where you lose consciousness of the self and all track of time—where moments of inspiration and insight strike throughout the day, and with it, a feeling of passion and, most importantly, peace of mind.
Put another way, you have found that moment when you are at one with your calling, and you have developed a certain intimacy with who you are and what your purpose is on this planet. This is far from work. This is a reminder about why each day matters. As Mark Twain said, “There are two most important days of life: the day you were born and the day you figured out why.”
I guess the third most important day for me is when I was officially diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. It certainly has given my calling a sense of urgency.
And, that urgency is tested with the results of my cancer scan earlier this week which was a combination of good news and not-so-good news. The good news is that I don’t have to go into hormone depletion therapy or radiation in the short term. Yay!
But, it’s likely that I need to mellow out my calendar in the second half of the year as the trend line on my numbers suggests that we can delay my treatment to that time. In between now and then, I’m going to treat my body and health with a renewed sense of love and care. Maybe I can turn this cancer around. Thanks for all your support on this emotional rollercoaster of a journey.
-Chip
P.S. The same day I was getting my initial results of my PSMA Petscan this week, the NY Times ran a story “A Role Model for How to Die” about another gay man (younger than me) who’s dealing with his metastatic prostate cancer journey. It’s a poignant read about how to use a terminal illness as a wake-up call for seeing each day as a bonus, full of gratitude.