Welcome to the digital home for all things from Dalton Johnson.
All tagged Philosophy
Alarm goes off. Wake up. Do the morning routine. Go to work, because, you know, we have to. Work. Work. Meeting. Pretend to work some more. Work. Head home. Maybe spend time with friends talking about work and the stress it creates, but, you know, you couldn’t live without work.
That is not living. That is a life accepting the indoctrination of a consumeristic life without questioning what is really going on in this world. So, what is living?
Play.
Waking up early is a novelty. Crawling out from under your covers is difficult, but worth it. Throughout a year, at least one of my highlights comes from waking up early to catch a sunrise. Often my motivation is a photo idea, but sometimes it is a climbing mission, or an outing with a friend. Regardless, do something hard and wake up early a few times a year! It’ll be worth it.
At the chance of sounding like a self-help book, “Are you wandering, feeling a bit lost, and looking for a solution?” Well, I have the cure, just pay me $500… LOL! In reality, I was feeling like the above statement and was truly wandering, without much direction, until I was introduced to the concept of Ikigai. Now, I will be totally honest with you, I am not sure if Ikigai is a way-of-life, a philosophy, a concept, a practical guide to life, etc. Ikigai was introduced to me by a Jesuit Priest as he was reflecting upon his own life. While out at lunch, he shared his perspective and encouraged me to look into it for myself.
My name is Dalton Johnson and I am a wanderer with a camera, a pencil, and paper. Now, that may sound vague and entice you, but please understand, that means most would consider my days to be quite long and boring. Often you can find me by a river contemplating, dangling from a rope on the side of a cliff, struggling to breathe as I swim in alpine lakes, or walking for hours without an endpoint. The reason I am writing this letter is to spark your curiosity, foster your nurturing gifts, and to encourage you to spread your love.
Most likely you have not heard of Ikigai, however, its background story and correlation to the Japanese island, Okinawa, which is home to the most centenarians in the world gives this Japanese practice an unparalleled lifestyle design resume. Living in the west, we have a consumer-based society, where our value is based on our belongings. That is not the case in Ikigai.
The societal climate appears to be hot and toasty. Often, the rhetoric is negative and disapproving of our society, yet what are you doing to make it a better place? How are you creating an environment for others to see the good in society? Below are four ways to connect with other humans and improve your perspective on society.
We all have 24 hours in a day and you can choose to spend those hours however you wish. It does not matter if you work a 9-5 or live in a van. We are the creators of your schedules. We are the puppet master pulling our strings. Our actions are ours alone. Why not embrace the traveler’s mindset and get the most out of your 24 hours?
Cycles define our lives. We ebb and flow, much like the tides pulled by the moon’s gravity. Some cycles are short, while others last a lifetime. Our relationships, our work, our creativity all require attention (the flowing) and withdrawal (the ebbing). Recently, I have been wondering what would it take to control these cycles. Are they controllable? Well, my intuition lands on a simple answer, no. No, I do not think we can control these cycles, but we can learn to recognize and embrace each orbit.
