Comments on: What's the Point of Life? http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/2009/02/whats-the-point-of-life/ A blog about mindfulness and psychotherapy by psychologist Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:39:28 +0000 hourly 1 By: Morgana Brianna http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/2009/02/whats-the-point-of-life/comment-page-1/#comment-3709 Morgana Brianna Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:49:39 +0000 http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/?p=60#comment-3709 I have many illnesses(mental/emotional & physical) & I've claimed to be a Christian(self-chosen convert for 40 years)now but my faith wavers-does anyone know how to strengthen their faith?-[(a pastor,was my grief counseler when my beloved dad died 12 years ago tod me to pray to the Holy Spirit-it's like Mulder's poster in his office on the "X-Files";it says"I Want To Believe")}I have found that the words"Time heals" to be absolutely true,though but in the last 3 years 1st my brother died of very severe physical illness=MS & COPD at 46 but in his case I felt a sense of relief because it tore me up everyday I saw him unable to leave his bed with my mom,a most wonderful woman taking care of him.Thankfully she's still well at 77,someone I didn't appreciate all my life cause I was "Daddy's Little Girl" but it wasn't too late;we are very close & supportive of each other,now but I'm so scared of losing her,too.I had a boyfriend,my best who I hoped to spend the rest of my life with(loved & enjoyed him for 18 years-in 2004 at the age of 51 he had a stroke right next to me in bed while we were watching tv-wound up 1/2 paralyzed in a nursing home after coming out of a coma with continual seizures(thought I lost him then)I always would visit him for 6 more years as much as I was able to until he died at 57 from complications of pneumonia(what my brother actually died from,too & both of them were great friends)he had also developed lung cancer.(it's only a year & 3 months since he died)but I'm happy that the last words he heard me say(on the phone) were"I'm on my way."At least he died knowing I love(d) him so much & I referred to him as my "husband"-there were no unresolved conflicts.7 months later,another boyfriend died who I wasn't with for a couple of month[(I broke up with him multiple times but he never took me seriously & I wasn't serious because either he would come to my house in about 4 days & say "I thought I'd let you cool off"(always refered to our fights as "tiffs" & wasn't one to hold a grudge)or I would go looking for him(he was homeless) & he always accepted me back;we just stuck together like magnets.}but I found out that my grief is complicated because I know I really hurt him the last time(went back out with his "rival" for the wrong reasons)& I don't know how to deal with the deep regret.Can anyone help me other than to say that I can't go back to change my actions?I wasn't happy with the boyfriend I was with in fact I was in a severe depressive bipolar phase for other reasons as well.Strange thing though-suddenly I started thinking about him obsessively with the thought of going back to him & that thought was the only thing that kept me going-I was looking forward to it & I knew he would take me back(he died at 44 only about 5 months ago?Nov.2010my math may be off in my grief)All during that time turned out he was in the hospital on life support but brain dead;2 months prior to that he fell on train tracks & suffered a severe concussion;also his liver was failing(my mom & boyfriend knew what was happening but in my precarious state of mind didn't tell me;I found out when I called a news store that knew him-we all did & the guy told me he passed away)I just really hope he knew that I still loved him & somehow forgave me & knew we'd be back with each other again(there was a cycle between both guys & a girlfriend that that they both went out with,too-we constantly "changed partners")i know this is all very depressing & I can't offer much help other than to say that I think it necessary/healthy to let oneself feel what they feel & not try to push it away.In fact,an experiment was done on tears from peeling onions & tears from emotion.The tears were analyzed & it was found that the tears from emotion,only contained toxic substances so to the scientific part of me(B.A.Chemistry)that tells me that there's a natural reason why we have the ability to cry(I know it calms me & gets the "bad" feelings out)so I encourage people to cry when they need to & not fight it.It's God"s/Nature's way of helping us heal otherwise we wouldn't have the ability to cry built into us.After he died though & I did tell him I still love him even though I broke up with him I am left with such regret & guilt;just wish I knew that he came to understand that I did love him & we would have gotten back together(we would have;we always did)I found that this is called complicated grief.I have a psychiatrist & I keep talking about going to a grief counseler,again but haven't.Can someone make any suggestions?I didn't mean to depress anyone with this story but I must thank all of you for providing a place to let me "vent"It's getting better & I do agree that one's got to appreciate what they've got when they've got it.Thanks,again & these newsletters are a Godsend. I have many illnesses(mental/emotional & physical) & I’ve claimed to be a Christian(self-chosen convert for 40 years)now but my faith wavers-does anyone know how to strengthen their faith?-[(a pastor,was my grief counseler when my beloved dad died 12 years ago tod me to pray to the Holy Spirit-it’s like Mulder’s poster in his office on the “X-Files”;it says”I Want To Believe”)}I have found that the words”Time heals” to be absolutely true,though but in the last 3 years 1st my brother died of very severe physical illness=MS & COPD at 46 but in his case I felt a sense of relief because it tore me up everyday I saw him unable to leave his bed with my mom,a most wonderful woman taking care of him.Thankfully she’s still well at 77,someone I didn’t appreciate all my life cause I was “Daddy’s Little Girl” but it wasn’t too late;we are very close & supportive of each other,now but I’m so scared of losing her,too.I had a boyfriend,my best who I hoped to spend the rest of my life with(loved & enjoyed him for 18 years-in 2004 at the age of 51 he had a stroke right next to me in bed while we were watching tv-wound up 1/2 paralyzed in a nursing home after coming out of a coma with continual seizures(thought I lost him then)I always would visit him for 6 more years as much as I was able to until he died at 57 from complications of pneumonia(what my brother actually died from,too & both of them were great friends)he had also developed lung cancer.(it’s only a year & 3 months since he died)but I’m happy that the last words he heard me say(on the phone) were”I’m on my way.”At least he died knowing I love(d) him so much & I referred to him as my “husband”-there were no unresolved conflicts.7 months later,another boyfriend died who I wasn’t with for a couple of month[(I broke up with him multiple times but he never took me seriously & I wasn’t serious because either he would come to my house in about 4 days & say “I thought I’d let you cool off”(always refered to our fights as “tiffs” & wasn’t one to hold a grudge)or I would go looking for him(he was homeless) & he always accepted me back;we just stuck together like magnets.}but I found out that my grief is complicated because I know I really hurt him the last time(went back out with his “rival” for the wrong reasons)& I don’t know how to deal with the deep regret.Can anyone help me other than to say that I can’t go back to change my actions?I wasn’t happy with the boyfriend I was with in fact I was in a severe depressive bipolar phase for other reasons as well.Strange thing though-suddenly I started thinking about him obsessively with the thought of going back to him & that thought was the only thing that kept me going-I was looking forward to it & I knew he would take me back(he died at 44 only about 5 months ago?Nov.2010my math may be off in my grief)All during that time turned out he was in the hospital on life support but brain dead;2 months prior to that he fell on train tracks & suffered a severe concussion;also his liver was failing(my mom & boyfriend knew what was happening but in my precarious state of mind didn’t tell me;I found out when I called a news store that knew him-we all did & the guy told me he passed away)I just really hope he knew that I still loved him & somehow forgave me & knew we’d be back with each other again(there was a cycle between both guys & a girlfriend that that they both went out with,too-we constantly “changed partners”)i know this is all very depressing & I can’t offer much help other than to say that I think it necessary/healthy to let oneself feel what they feel & not try to push it away.In fact,an experiment was done on tears from peeling onions & tears from emotion.The tears were analyzed & it was found that the tears from emotion,only contained toxic substances so to the scientific part of me(B.A.Chemistry)that tells me that there’s a natural reason why we have the ability to cry(I know it calms me & gets the “bad” feelings out)so I encourage people to cry when they need to & not fight it.It’s God”s/Nature’s way of helping us heal otherwise we wouldn’t have the ability to cry built into us.After he died though & I did tell him I still love him even though I broke up with him I am left with such regret & guilt;just wish I knew that he came to understand that I did love him & we would have gotten back together(we would have;we always did)I found that this is called complicated grief.I have a psychiatrist & I keep talking about going to a grief counseler,again but haven’t.Can someone make any suggestions?I didn’t mean to depress anyone with this story but I must thank all of you for providing a place to let me “vent”It’s getting better & I do agree that one’s got to appreciate what they’ve got when they’ve got it.Thanks,again & these newsletters are a Godsend.

]]> By: jjjj http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/2009/02/whats-the-point-of-life/comment-page-1/#comment-157 jjjj Wed, 14 Apr 2010 03:51:20 +0000 http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/?p=60#comment-157 this article is wonderful. the answer is there is no point in life. if you look at the universe as a whole we are just a tiny spec on a tiny planet in the entire universe. nothing that happens on earth matters, earth could be obliterated at any instant and still nothing would matter. humans are in fact the most unfortunate species on earth because they have the potential to create corrupt civilizations that make life for all other humans one of fear. to be "successful" in this life you need to get aquire a piece of paper called money that apparently has a "value". does paper money truly have any value? what other species needs money to eat, survive, and buy shelter and food. it is absurd. Humans are no different than birds, bees, horses, or dogs. except that we have potential to think and create. all organisms are in fact pointless, what makes a human better than a dog? all organisms live and die there is no point at all that is just the nature of life. now a very very interesting question is..... thousands of years ago when the first human was born how did it as a baby feed and nurture itself to an adult and be able to reproduce? this article is wonderful.
the answer is there is no point in life. if you look at the universe as a whole we are just a tiny spec on a tiny planet in the entire universe. nothing that happens on earth matters, earth could be obliterated at any instant and still nothing would matter. humans are in fact the most unfortunate species on earth because they have the potential to create corrupt civilizations that make life for all other humans one of fear. to be “successful” in this life you need to get aquire a piece of paper called money that apparently has a “value”. does paper money truly have any value? what other species needs money to eat, survive, and buy shelter and food. it is absurd. Humans are no different than birds, bees, horses, or dogs. except that we have potential to think and create. all organisms are in fact pointless, what makes a human better than a dog? all organisms live and die there is no point at all that is just the nature of life.

now a very very interesting question is….. thousands of years ago when the first human was born how did it as a baby feed and nurture itself to an adult and be able to reproduce?

]]> By: Elisha Goldstein, PhD http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/2009/02/whats-the-point-of-life/comment-page-1/#comment-155 Elisha Goldstein, PhD Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:35:09 +0000 http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/?p=60#comment-155 Thank you for bringing this point up Ron and all your wonderful quotes. While the practice of mindfulness is thought to stem from Buddhist origins, the meaning behind it has been integral to many different traditions. Abraham Joshua Heschel pointed out the importance of breaking out of auto-pilot and becoming present when he said: "life is routine, and routine is resistance to wonder." Sufi poet Rumi often speaks to the importance of moving beyond judgments and being present with all that is there. The practice of becoming present to our lives is a universal human experience that we can all benefit from. Thank you for bringing this point up Ron and all your wonderful quotes. While the practice of mindfulness is thought to stem from Buddhist origins, the meaning behind it has been integral to many different traditions. Abraham Joshua Heschel pointed out the importance of breaking out of auto-pilot and becoming present when he said: “life is routine, and routine is resistance to wonder.” Sufi poet Rumi often speaks to the importance of moving beyond judgments and being present with all that is there. The practice of becoming present to our lives is a universal human experience that we can all benefit from.

]]> By: PsychCentral http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/2009/02/whats-the-point-of-life/comment-page-1/#comment-156 PsychCentral Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:37:16 +0000 http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/?p=60#comment-156 Mindfulness Blog: What's the Point of Life? @http://zz.gd/782ef0 Mindfulness Blog: What’s the Point of Life? @http://zz.gd/782ef0

]]> By: ron pies http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/2009/02/whats-the-point-of-life/comment-page-1/#comment-154 ron pies Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:03:26 +0000 http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/?p=60#comment-154 Thanks, Elisha, for another wise essay. The idea of focusing on "the present moment" is one both the ancient Stoic philosophers and the great rabbis of the Talmud (and later eras) also endorsed. Marcus Aurelius said, "Since it is possible that you may depart from life this very moment, regulate every act and thought accordingly." Similarly, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught (to paraphrase), "We have only the hour and the day where we stand--for tomorrow is an entirely different world." ---Best regards, Ron Pies Thanks, Elisha, for another wise essay. The idea of focusing on “the present moment” is one both the ancient Stoic philosophers and the great rabbis of the Talmud (and later eras) also endorsed. Marcus Aurelius said, “Since it is possible that you may depart from life this very moment, regulate every act and thought accordingly.” Similarly, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught (to paraphrase), “We have only the hour and the day where we stand–for tomorrow is an entirely different world.” —Best regards, Ron Pies

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