What does it mean to have an integrated life, and why is it something worth striving for? This is the question I will be answering here, at least for myself. Today is as good a day as any to start to assess my life objectively (of course that’s impossible) and to try to break through the layers of self-deception that prevent me from living a truly integrated life.
I think I am a normal person. I have a wife and kids, a dog, and a mortgage. By today’s standard I am very religious, though I do my best to blend into society. I have spent my career mostly in software product management, a lucrative and intellectually stimulating field. I have a few unique or unusual interests that my career has enabled me to pursue: I am a pilot, I like to ride motorcycles, I like to climb mountains. I also have dabbled in creating art, but just for me.
What does it mean to live an integrated life when so much of what I do is compartmentalized? Work, church, family, hobbies – I have portioned off different parts of my life for my several pursuits. Do I have an integrated life if they never mix? What is the drawback of keeping them compartmentalized? I honestly want to find out.
The Integrated Life 