They tell you the world, as they’ve known it, will not change. There’s a defined path and set of expectations with no need to stray.
But, there’s a little piece they falsely deny. Things can, in fact, change.
Dare to step beyond the expectations they’ve imposed. Those boundaries need not define your life. Start believing in and living in the world inside your head, and you will see it become reality.
be bolder and more unapologetically me.
stay true to the process.
welcome things that make me uncomfortable.
rid my emotional vocabulary of fear.
be more generous.
embrace imperfection.
Fear claims the unknown is a scary place – hopeless and out of control. There cannot be anything beautiful beyond that which is already known.
Truth tells us uncertainty creates opportunity – marked by brilliance and hope. The unknown is a place where things will far surpass the known.
“I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.” – Gandhi
We take the present for granted. And, we assume that the future is a guarantee. We seek to posture our lives such that we will have success in the days to come.
We forget about the present.
Instead of panicking and running furiously, it’s high time we slow up and savor the beauty of the now. It’s here, but only for this very moment. In a snap, it will pass away.
Don’t obsess over the future. Don’t miss out on the present day.
Confession: I’m a bit addicted to saving.
Yeah, I know, you are sarcastically thinking – oh, that must really suck. Prepared for the future. Decent savings account. I’m finding it a bit tough to give much sympathy.
But, give me a chance to explain.
See, the problem about being addicted to saving is it interferes with living. Everything is charted in terms of the future so much so that the present gets a bit forgotten. I best not spend that now, wear that now, eat that now, do that now because I might need it tomorrow.
But, the excessive saver doesn’t stop to think – what happens if tomorrow never comes? When is it finally time to spend that, wear that, eat that, or do that? It all gets pushed off to the future.
That might not seem a problem, but excuse me for the momentary morbid thought – we all die. That’s not a huge revelation. Yet somehow the excessive saver loses sight of that very obvious fact. She may very well reach the end of life with a whole lot saved up for the living that, in essence, never took place.
So, while I love that I have the discipline to save, I’m forcing myself in the opposite direction, allowing myself to live a little in the present moment before me. I want my life to be defined by how I’ve lived, not how I’ve saved.
