This morning I was especially struck by what I read because it is so true and so simple and yet so hard to live. He says:
If you put an aim in front of you, you'll be running all your life, and happiness will never be possible. Happiness is possible only when you stop running , and cherish the present moment and who you are. You don't need to be someone else; you are already a wonder of life.
Isn't that good? even beautiful? But how hard it often seems - to me at least - for much of my life, to live. There is so often each day something in the future I am going to be looking forward to - seeing someone, or planning a holiday, or feeling better - whatever. And then, I discover when I do that, that I miss what the here and now is putting before me. I miss really listening to others and to the world around me. I miss often what I am actually at that moment, feeling or thinking.
Thich Nhat Hanh often speaks of being aware of your breath and how that brings you back to the now, and keeps you there. I am not good at that yet but I want to be. Although I find that it is sometimes better for me, as a Christian, to be present to my God - but I think maybe that works out to the same thing.
I love it when he says, You don't need to be someone else'. How often do we really appreciate how beautiful each of us really is; how very precious just as we are. At the very least, we know in our deepest hearts that we can't be someone else, so why not explore what a beautiful creation I really am.
1 comment:
Certainly in my profession, we're programmed to keep achieving the next thing and to judge ourselves and others by our accomplishments. It's refreshing and healing to remember that we and others are indeed special just as we are. This isn't incompatible with striving to accomplish things. I think the more centered we are, the more likely it is that we'll be able to accomplish things anyway. Also, I think being able to live in the present moment not only means not waiting until the future to enjoy things, but also not dreading things that will happen in the future. We will all get older and eventually die, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the time we have now.
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