In an NPR interview, Lear, now 93 shared TWO WORDS of his best thinking about life ….OVER AND NEXT! He also described the space/time in between over and next as a HAMMOCK…or as “This Moment.”
The rest, and any interpretation beyond that, is left up to you and me. So my suggestion? Use the words “over and next” for your free association and psychological probing of SELF. Write the words on a piece of paper (maybe you are a journal person by now) and simply list any thoughts that come to mind….words, phrases, more detailed teased out reflections. It’s your meaning that’s most important.
Since Lear has, and is, leading such a long, healthy, creative and successful life, I’m thinking there’s philosophy to “mine” in these two simple words. So here are the psychological, philosophical, spiritual thoughts that come to mind worth further exploration….
“OVER” suggests…
-recognizing endings
-letting go
-releasing any resistance to “what is”
-acknowledging end points in life
-identifying past as past
“NEXT” suggests….
-new beginnings
-mapping a future
-opening to creative next steps
-positive anticipation
-recognizing clear spaces for movement forward
And the HAMMOCK as a visual….
– the joining or connecting space between past and future
-simply being HERE and in this relaxed, mindful moment
-allowing yourself to see what to let go of and then open to….by paying attention to NOW!
Just some thoughts. Your reflections are essential and important for you to capture, hopefully on paper, to keep yourself focused and on track. It’s just a good thing to make sure you provide yourself enough time to actually DO the reflection….It truly does help! And remember you deserve to feel good about the direction you are taking in life.
Listen to Dr. Linda Moore and Mike Manko discuss Norman Lear’s “Over and Next” philosophy on the SteveAndMikeRadio.com podcast.