Priorities, Priorities…

FRI., OCT. 18, 1996, 3:31 PM
OFFICE, PULLIAM

You just have come from a meeting dealing with goals and priorities for this Department that you soon will be leaving. Much of it seemed wasteful of your time… that this should not be a high priority for you. I agree with this judgment, and, increasingly I shall be pulling and pushing you to what I have told you are your top priorities for the future – matters of the spirit and your Farm. (Matters of the spirit certainly include letters to special people, and, of course, Our Ruminations.) Even though you want to continue to be a responsible member of the Department, you should make and carry out priorities in your own life.

In your teaching, for the rest of this academic year, your last in full-time, you need to set some priorities for assignments next semester. Let your and My priorities merge. Continue or develop assignments that have some amount of spirit to them, as you have done quite well in the Death Education class. Worry less and less about factual material. Encourage learners to think in right-brain ways, with spirit as an important factor. Consider opportunities even this semester, such as Priya, and continue to learn yourself, in this most important of “dimensions”.

Another decision that you should be making is in relation to magazines, journals, and books to which you subscribe or that you purchase. Apply priorities. Which ones should you continue, and which ones should you let lapse? Begin to assess all that you have in this office, deciding which ones are truly worth reading or rereading. You know you have many sources that have insights important to Our work together. From My perspective new (and modern) is not always better. Let Me help you in discerning what is important to your coming retirement years. I will, you know! Continue the pragmatic criterion: do you actually read from a magazine or journal? If the answer, over time, is No or Not Much, let it lapse.

You had a dilemma for selection of a priority for Sunday evening… that seemed to be settled this afternoon. It does seem to be a priority for you to participate in the Telefund for your Department, for it will give you opportunities to talk with some of Our readers, and some of your favorite graduates. You can continue with the death discussion next week.

I’ve offered you the twin terms “awareness” and “appreciation”. More application of these should be a priority for you. That is, strive to be more aware of all that you are doing, and what is going on about you. You are quite aware of the beauty of these days and the portion of My earth in which you live. Appreciate more fully all that you do… and have done for you. Live life as if it were going to be a short experience, as is, for even though you could live on for more years, you could lose aspects of your present self (or have these diminished) so that appreciation would be harder. Spend little time lamenting losses. Focus, positively, on what you have and how life is still good, even if different from full functioning.

( 4:07 PM / 7:44 PM )

Lenore, your life partner, by destiny for you both, must be a priority, in some variety of ways. Together you just set the trap for the raccoon, another which may be killing your chickens. Invite her to share with you more of the tasks here, from which both of you benefit. Continue to enjoy life together.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with gatherings like this one tonight, the University Club. Oh, it is not high priority, but it is good to enjoy these times of social interacting. Your retirement years will be without the almost automatic relationships with students and fellow faculty. You have had much of this in your working years, so it is good that these ensuing years will include less, but some is necessary… a low priority, but important, nevertheless.