In a later book – On the Brink of Everything – published when he was 80, Parker Palmer wrote that he no longer asks himself, “What do I want to let go of, and what do I want to hang on to?” Instead he asks, “What do I want to let go of, and what do I want to give myself to?” (pg 27).
It’s a better question than, “What is my purpose now? – the question we ask ourselves in this third season of our lives. At this age, we are no longer conscripted by things that have to be done: working at our careers, feeding the family, driving someone to soccer practice. We have the luxury of truly living the person God intends for us to become. In the depth of our souls, we ask, “What do I want to give myself to?”
Let Your Life Speak will help us to answer that question by asking another one: What is the life that wants to live in me now?” What has my life revealed to me? Where have I seen the hand of God guiding me? What is my own inner life that knows the path that is mine to walk?
Whatever our life’s history, we are here and this is now. What now shall we offer to the world?
Chapter 1 Questions for reflection.
“We listen for guidance everywhere except from within,” writes Parker Palmer in Let Your Life Speak (pg 5). We take notes on what the experts have to say but ignore what our soul says to us.
If you were to take notes on your life, what highlights would you include? What do you notice about your reactions to those significant moments? What do you recall that surprises you?
We think we understand something when we speak it, but often we do not, especially when the inner teacher is given voice rather than when we hear from our intellect and ego (pg 5).
How do you know when your “inner voice” is speaking to you? How does that voice get your attention?
The soul is like a wild animal, says Palmer. Tough, resilient, savvy, self-sufficient, and yet exceedingly shy. To see the soul, you may need to visit the woods or some other quiet place and just sit for a while (pg 7).
How would you describe the soul you glimpse when it reveals itself?
There is, says Palmer, “a great gulf between the way my ego wants to identify me, with its protective masks and self-serving fictions, and my true self” pg 5.
What masks have you worn in your life? When have you tried to live up to other people’s expectations instead of being true to your real self?
More Resources
How to Become a 100 Percenter
Does your life reflect your values and purpose? Does how you spend your money and time line up with what you say you believe? This short article and video offer some ideas on being a 100 percenter. Click on the link.
https://www.dailygood.org/story/3146/how-to-become-a-100-percenter-danny-almagor/
The Wisdom Years 