Oscar Wilde once observed:

>*"To Live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist..."*

Oscar Wilde died almost 120 years ago, but it seems to me that his observation is perhaps more poignant today than it has *ever* been.

![249NewPinkFlowers140718b.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/denmarkguy/an4rZlT8-249-New-PinkFlowers-140718b.jpg)
*Pink lantana*

## *What IS "Living," Anyway?*

I think a lot of people mistake *"living"* for trying to fill your life with as many people, things and activities as you possibly can. I have never found any of that particularly meaningful, though.

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but I'm really more into the *quality* of life than the *quantity* of life. When I look around me and see (allegedly well-meaning and serious) quotes like *"whoever has the biggest pile of toys, wins!"* I can't help but think that we've all become derailed, somewhere.

I feel fully alive when I am sitting at my desk and my cat is asleep in my lap, alternately purring and snoring. I also feel fully alive when I am eating a slice of the Chimacum Café's homemade strawberry-rhubarb pie. Those are examples of *living,* to me. 

We all have our own individual interpretations, of course. 

I'm not questioning people's interpretations of *being happy* and *living life,* I just find myself pondering the *authenticity* of some of these interpretations: Are you truly doing "whatever you're doing" because it fills out innner self with a sense of purpose and meaning? Or are your expressions creations conjured up for *"public consumption?"*

![246NewSunset140716f.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/denmarkguy/E04Xzw6u-246-New-Sunset-140716f.jpg)
*Sunset over the bay*

## *Self-esteem... and Stuff*

A psychologist friend of mine was once talking to someone who was very wrapped up in what other people were thinking... and my friend pointed out that we call it *SELF-esteem,* not *"Other-people-esteem."*

Maybe that's a bit harsh... but I believe in getting my inner guidance *from within,* not as a consequence of *what other people are thinking.*

Either way, those words were central to my becoming more *"self-referencing"* than *"other-referencing"* as I grew older... and subsequently enabled me to recognize the difference between *"living"* and *"existing"* more readily. Along with that, I also became more aware that *"self-confidence"* and *"self-ESTEEM"* aren't necessarily the same thing. 

Anyway, this whole ramble was somewhat prompted by the realization that my ongoing process of *"re-inventing myself"* for the Nth time has a lot to do with the recognition of slipping back into old patterns of feeling like life is not *living,* but merely *existing.*

And so, the imminent change is definitely for the better!

Thanks for reading!

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*(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 190513 00:31 PST*
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