Sitting in church today I had a strange thought- through the course of a ' life they are constantly changing their consciousness' focus.
As a child all we comprehend is the here and now, maybe stretching it to find next week or month to look forward to Christmas.
As an early teen I remained concerned with today, next hour, and the next school day.
As I've matured into a young man I now find myself caring more and more about my distant (and not so distant) future. I think and wonder about the direction life will take me, what consequence my actions will have, and if I'm moving in the right direction.
I imagine that after I return from my mission I will have a stronger perception of the here and now.
Then as a mid-aged man I can see myself looking to the future again, the future of a family and worrying about providing for them while simultaneously fulfilling my own ambitions.
As an older perhaps retired man I believe everything will change, my focus will turn more towards the past, looking over my mistakes and successes and wondering if i did enough good to be remembered.
Where is the best place to be, is the the past, present, or future?
It has to be a balance of all three.
If you live only in the past the present would be waisted, your future would go unnoticed and eventually unused.
Living strictly in the present would mean ignoring the consequences of your actions until they were right in front of you making you miserable, and your past would be a worthless collage of self-fullfilling moments.
Those that live only in the future are the dreamers that never wake to work for their fantasies. A life used in this way will be full of worry and empty of substance.
It has to be a balance.
A learning remembrance of the past, an active use of the present, and a trusting acknowledgment of the future.
~M.R.
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As we learn from life and uncover who we are and what we are here to do, we will know better how to live our lives. All that happened or will ever happen just adds to the here and now and effects our understanding and choices as we go.
ReplyDeleteWhen we live with integrity we acknowledge the past, present and future and our roles in them and what we learn from them reveals ourselves. We live truthfully.
God is the same yesterday, today and forever...meaning he is consistently true to who He is.
Desiderata
ReplyDeleteby Max Ehrmann
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.