Excavation - Tool or Distraction?

Twenty years ago or so, Sarah Ban Breathnach (not sure of spelling) wrote "Simple Abundance" and a couple of other books to assist us in excavating our authentic selves.  Before that, and ever since, with the help of Oprah and countless others, we've been working away at finding our true selves, following our "bliss," looking for happiness, and creating joy in our lives.  I'm no exception.  I've been digging around inside myself for a long time now, trying to figure out what makes me "tick" and what I really, really, really am inside.  I'm still digging.....and I'll probably be digging for the rest of my life.

The thing is, sometimes I think we dig too hard.  At least I think I've been digging too hard.  So hard, in fact, that maybe I'm missing the point.  But what is the point?  Am I digging just to learn more about myself, or just to learn, period.  Am I really trying to make my life better?  I guess I must be, but it occurred to me this morning that I get so busy "excavating" that a lot of times I'm missing out on life itself!  That's kind of defeating the purpose, isn't it?   Excavating my soul is supposed to improve my life, isn't it?   Or is it just distracting me from it?  I don't know, but I'll keep working on it.   In the meantime, here's my photo for today for Project Life 365.  I call it Bloom Where You're Planted (which in this case is on my aunt's dining room table).