Monday, April 11, 2005

Now vs. then

If there is one thing people need to realize in life to be happy, it is thus;

"Be content with what is, do not anticipate what will be, and do not lament what was."

— T Seguin


You will never have any other time than now. You will never experience the future until it is the now and you only think about the past now.

Imagine yourself in a field of sheep. You look over at you neighbor and as he chews the grass you ask. "What time is it?" The sheep would look to the sky and say, "What an absurd question young lass. Of course it is now. The time is now. What else could there be?"

Once a person can realize this and enlightened state will be obtained where one can strip away past filled with pain and futures filled with fears, and live intensely present in just that, the present.

1 comment:

digi said...

Although I agree with the T Seguin quote (is that called meta-quoting?) that stewing on the past is bad news, I find the statement and posting in general quite disheartening.

First. To be content means to limit oneself in requirements, desires, or actions. I get queasy just thinking about that. Never be content. If you've self-created your own limitations through the use of self-fear and doubt, I hope you find the strength to smash down that wall. Be the person you want to be, not the person you are.

Next. Not to anticipate means turning yourself into a dog. Less than a dog. Even a dog can anticipate the treat, the stick throw, or the car ride. I take this one particularly close to heart because anticipation is very important to me. I learned it early on in my HapKiDo training and it has helped me all through life. Anticipation is knowing how to balance yourself with what comes at you. If you aren't balanced, you get knocked over.

Finally. "Living in the Now" should be treated with more respect than that I believe you are giving it in this posting. It simply cannot be your solo mantra. Incorporate it (if it's an idea you like) into yourself as part of a greater thought. I believe Now is something not to focus on, but to accept and allowed to happen. The only creature I can think of that lives *purely* in the now is zombie. Don't be a zombie, you have so much more potential.

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