avatarJames Boylan

Summary

Jim Boylan shares his journey from a life of struggle to one of happiness and freedom, emphasizing his spiritual growth and the importance of personal choice in life's "cafeteria."

Abstract

Jim Boylan, in his piece "Spirituality and How To Plan As Life Keeps Going On?" welcomes readers to his personal philosophy, likening life to a cafeteria where individuals are free to choose their path. Retired and active, Boylan reflects on his transition from a life of pain to one of joy, supported by his sobriety of over 45 years. He attributes his happiness to his spirituality, which has been nurtured through service work, family, and community engagement, particularly with the Flint St. Andrews Soup Kitchen. Despite physical aging, Boylan maintains a youthful mindset and continues to embrace new opportunities for growth and connection. He acknowledges the concern of a friend about overextending in service work but remains committed to his spiritual journey, guided by the belief that he is only limited by his own mind.

Opinions

  • Boylan emphasizes personal agency in life choices, suggesting that one should take what resonates and leave the rest.
  • He values service work and community involvement as essential components of his fulfilling and spiritually rich life.
  • Boylan is grateful for his sobriety and the positive impact it has had on his relationships with his family, who have only known him as sober and loving.
  • He believes in the power of the mind over age, maintaining that his mental acuity and spiritual outlook are more significant than physical strength.
  • Boylan appreciates the ongoing presence of God in his life, which he sees manifested through the meaningful relationships he continues to develop.
  • He respects the advice of others but ultimately follows his own path, guided by his understanding of spiritual principles and personal experiences.
  • Boylan sees himself as a spiritual being first, which shapes his identity and actions more than any physical limitations or societal expectations.

Spirituality and How To Plan As Life Keeps Going On?

Welcome to the Jim Boylan Cafeteria Of Life

Cafeteria of Life Photo by CDC on Unsplash

I can not and will not tell you how to live your life. I can only describe how I have come from a life of pain and misery into a life being Happy, Joyous, and Free. And in this cafeteria, you are free to choose what you wish to take. And just leave the rest. No high-pressure sales pitch.

I am a very active person. And, since I have retired, I have been in a position to be able to work whenever I want or not. I can do service work whenever I want or not.

Since leaving the workforce, although not wealthy, I can do pretty much whatever and whenever I wish. When we had our Montana 5th wheel RV, we were on the road for over half of the year, both for work and pleasure.

It has been several years since we parted ways with our 5th wheel, and we have traveled a couple of times to warmer climes since then in the winter. But not in the last couple of years. There is so much around the home to keep us both occupied.

The pandemic had us, along with the rest of the state, in a state of “house arrest” for a year and a half. This limited any excursions to doctors’ visits, grocery shopping, and the Flint St. Andrews Soup Kitchen. And I was a member of the Flint Life Enrichment Center Stream Team Sundays during their Live Streaming Telecasts of the services.

I am blessed to have a healthy, fit 80+-year-old body that is accompanied by a mind that does not know age. I am not physically as strong as I was earlier in my life and maybe a little slower in my actions, but my mind is as active as it ever was. And maybe even more so, in fact.

God keeps putting people in my life that I want to be around and, more important to me, want me around them. Whodathunk that this ole drunk has not had a drink or drug in 45+ years. For sure, not many knew me “back in the day.”

I have a wife and five children and nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren who have never seen me take a drink, and they love me. I have two children who were around when I was in the madness, and today they both love me.

Today, I am Happy, Joyous, and Free-living and loving my life and all around me.

Recently, I had a good friend who has not had a drink in over 40 years approach me and tell me to slow down. He said that he was going to cut back on his service work because he didn’t want to overdo it anymore. And that I really should too.

I thanked him for the concern, and we both went our separate ways. I remembered Reverend Stephanie Sorensen telling me several years ago that I was a Spiritual Being. Living in a Spiritual Universe. One that is governed by Spiritual Law. And one with all that exists.

As a Spiritual Being, I am only limited only by what my mind tells me. And not anything else.

Therefore, I will remain in this state of mind by doing whatever I can with whatever I am blessed to work or deal with. This includes my family. My friends. Others in the AA Program. People from Flint’s oppressively poor, violent East Side who have become part of my extended family at the St Andrews Soup Kitchen. The wonderful people I am meeting through my writing. And, if someone was mistakenly left off this list, just please feel free to join as an important part of my extended family.

Thank you, God!

Spirituality
Recovery
Alcohol
Self Improvement
Inspiration
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