"A Richer Better Life Awaits You"
One in a series of 45 prints based on this advertisement slogan from the 1920’s.
From The Power of Now
by Eckhart Tolle
"One day I'll make it." Is your goal taking up so much of your attention that you reduce the present moment to a means to an end? Is it taking the joy out of your doing? Are you waiting to start living? If you develop such a mind pattern, no matter what you achieve or get, the present will never be good enough; the future will always seem better. A perfect recipe for permanent dissatisfaction and nonfulfillment, don't you agree?
Waiting is a state of mind. Basically, it means that you want the future; you don't want the present. You don't want what you've got, and you want what you haven't got. With every kind of waiting, you unconsciously create inner conflict between your here and now, where you don't want to be, and the projected future, where you want to be. This greatly reduces the quality of your life by making you lose the present.
There is nothing wrong with setting goals and striving to achieve things. The mistake lies in using it as a substitute for the feeling of life, for Being. The only point of access for that is the Now. You are then like an architect who pays no attention to the foundation of a building but spends a lot of time working on the superstructure.
For example, many people are waiting for prosperity [to lose weight, a relationship, etc]. It cannot come in the future. When you honor, acknowledge, and fully accept your present reality--where you are, who you are, what you are doing right now--when you fully accept what you have, you are grateful for what you have, grateful for what is, grateful for Being. Gratitude for the present moment and the fullness of life now is true prosperity. It cannot come in the future. Then, in time, that prosperity manifest for you in various ways.
So give up waiting as a state of mind. When you catch yourself slipping into waiting...snap out of it. Come into the present moment. Just be, and enjoy being. If you are present, there is never any need for you to wait for anything.
6 comments:
"The mistake lies in using [striving to achieve]as a substitute for the feeling of life, for Being." Right on!
I read Waiting for Godot in college. Didn't get it and found it frustrating. But in day-to-day life I probably reference/think about that play more than any other work of literature. If you haven't read it, grab a copy. Very quick read.
wow I just wrote up a whole long post and it disappeared in thin air. "duplication error". Frick.
I guess I'm supposed to write it again... maybe I didn't hear what I was saying lol.
I'm not in a bad space, but I feel like crying right now. My crossfit/paleo cohort friend William just told me he's moving back to Arizona and he is SO friggin' excited. I am so BUMMED.
I got my "before" pix taken last night and didn't freak out. Haven't freaked out. I'm doing excellent with sticking to my paleo-zone and I'm just keeping a'going keeping a'going. Not projecting, not having a memory. I have been taking measures to protect myself -- sometimes I can't be trusted. I've been feeling this "impending POSSIBILITY" that I may go to the "dark side" (haha) the black-hole, and getting stuck there. I know it's because I'm doing so well, my ego is kicking me back, trying to trick me into self-sabotage (like in the past) but I'm refusing to turn-around & look.
Instead I am doing things a little bit different, it feels a little uncomfortable, reaching out when I want to crawl in a cave and keep the "troubles" to myself -- but it's not like the other way is really WORKIN' for me. Sorry this is so long. Sometimes, even if you can't do something about something, it helps to just cry. Or scream.
I am taking charge of the things I have control over. I'm doing GOOD. And sometimes I have difficulty FEELING good about it.
I love eckhert. I am going to make an effort to find his book I own.
Kath, you ARE doing great. I could tell that, which is why I posted the note I did on your FB page. I want some of your Kool Aid. Cry, pout AND keep a'going keep a'going!
Kath, I'm so happy to hear that things are clicking for you! Thanks for the post today...especially since you had to type it in twice!
Remember that post I think we read a while back, from the crossfitting chick "cutting the crap" or something like that? Well, that's what I'm having to do. Someone told me a probable "cause" of lupus -- and I have to say I gave the cure a try. That means cutting out all shit. And somehow, THIS TIME, I've been able to stick with the program. William & Laura (Demarco) have really helped me because we complain to each other all the time haha and grocery shop with each other and ask each other stupid questions.
Cleaning up my food of course leaves room for the OTHER stuff to kick in -- stuff I've been keeping suppressed or numbed-out. This blog helps with being able to let it out. To say I'm struggling but I'm not giving in. I think that's important.
That's awesome, Kath. I'm so glad you are having success. Laura DeMarco is a good one to grocery shop with...the first time I met her she was sitting behind the desk at Sonz eating a measured portion of almonds. I remember thinking, "I want to be like her." A year and half later, I'm still trying...maybe a tad closer.
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