Apprecition of What We Have

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, in his classic book The Little Prince, teaches us that "One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes." It is easy to lose track of the fact that the most important things cannot be purchased or owned. They are sometimes transient and almost always invisible. We continue to try to find happiness in obtaining more and more despite this. The world in which we live tends to reinforce the notion that if a little is good, more will be better. Unhappiness usually follows. There is an overriding sense that we just don't have enough or can't get enough of something.

Wanting and craving what we don't have prevents us from appreciating and enjoying what we do have right now. We often sell ourselves continual dissatisfaction and discontent by focusing on what we appear to lack. The envy of other people’s possessions, power and influence leads us to feel inadequate. We measure ourselves and always come up short.

How can we learn to savor the blessings we have now and appreciate the joy of all that is really important? One way to achieve this attitude of gratitude is to begin to live life with the knowledge that tomorrow the people or things that we love might not be here to enjoy. It should not take an actual loss to create this mind set. Life now is where we are living. Nothing can ever really fill all of our expectations and desires. The true value of life is in the present.  It is found in the people and things that surround us.

We cannot wait until tomorrow to realize that our lives are filled with special blessings. Tomorrow might be too late to see what has true value and worth. Living in the here and now allows us to enjoy all that we have and will truly satisfy our desires. What we already have is truly valuable. It is important to appreciate and celebrate the life that we are given while we still have the time left to enjoy it.

Go For The Gusto!

We each have the unique opportunity to hold life in our hands with wonder and awe. The moment that we are experiencing right now is extraordinary, amazing and sacred. There are miracles happening all around us. It is estimated that the population of the world in May, 2010 was 6,821,200,000. Imagine the reality of six billion eight hundred million experiences of life all happening right now. Each of us has a different perspective of what is truly going on. Every possible human emotion and life event is occurring. There is joy, sorrow, ecstasy, despondence, war, peace, birth, marriage and death. It would take an eternity to fully understand this one single moment in time from the irreplaceable viewpoint of all of the people who are in it. Why, then, would any of us be so self centered to think that we have all of the answers? We cannot even comprehend the very second that we having right now. We do not know when, how or where we are going to die. We are given this gift of here and now to treasure. Only a grateful heart and a sense of appreciation should accept it. What is our plan to deal with these singular wild and precious moments?

We don’t want to end up simply having visited this world. It is only possible to live fully if we abandon all notions of superiority, self importance or great wisdom. Little children are much closer to the truth than adults. They do not claim to have the answers. Like them, we must walk through the door of the present with curiosity and wonder. Everything is filled with possibility. Everyone is here to have a part of it. It is wasted only if we are closed off and self absorbed. We are called to participate with some measure of enthusiasm. Give up the narrow viewpoint. Let go of the doomsday attitude. There are fields of flowers and amazing discoveries to be had. The fullness of time is available. There is nothing to stop us except self conceived limitations. George Bernard Shaw observed that many of us live life as a "feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."  We have another chance right now.  Let’s go for the gusto!

Regret and Recognizing Treasure

The treasures of life are just in front of us.  We need only to look down or up instead of fixing our gaze on objects at the horizon or in the rear view mirror.  Regret comes from a failure to recognize the incredible beauty that surrounds us here and now.  Fond memory comes from savoring the moments of wonder, friends and joy that are happening when they happen.

My favorite Rumi quantrain called "The Red Shirt" grieves the passing of life appreciated too late.  It goes like this:

Has anyone seen the boy who used to come here?

Round-faced troublemaker, quick to find a joke, slow to be serious.

Red shirt,

perfect co-ordination, sly,

Srong muscles, with things always in his pocket: reed flute,

ivory pick, polished and ready for his talent.

You know that one.

Have you heard stories about him?

Pharoah and the whole Egyptian world

collapsed for such a Joseph.

I'd gladly spend years getting word of him,
even third or fourth hand.

I have been to conferences with men who weep when these passages are read.  The thought of time passing without fully taking pleasure in it is a gut wrenching experience.  We will miss plenty enough even without running so hard to some unknown future.  Our dreams and goals are attainable only if we fully attend to the present.  We have to show up today ready to participate and play.  It is the key to having a good time, happy memories and a great life!

Being Present and Bringing Light

Living our lives in the here and now requires first, and foremost, that we are fully present in the moment. This means that we are not engaged in a battle with the past nor fretting about the future. Affecting the quality of the day obliges us to show up with our personal gifts and talents. We have the opportunity to use them and share our uniqueness in everything that we do.

We are not unlike artists, chefs, craftsmen and potters in our approach to molding the day.  We come to the moment with everything that has made us who we are.  All of the happiness, sadness, trials and adventures have given us depth of character and experience.  We have wisdom to offer, stories to tell and things to create.  The flavor of the day is up to us.

This process of shaping the way that a day evolves is not about taking control and exerting authority. It is about being a contributor and a co-creator. It is about bringing light to the darkness. Being alive and present to our family, friends and associates allows relationships to grow and flourish. We allow people to know us for who we really are. We might just discover that we have more value than we ever imagined.

Epiphany

The manifestation of a new world order is celebrated at Epiphany.  It is the Twelfth Night or the Twelfth Day of Christmas.  Epiphany has been a greater and smaller holiday over the centuries.  Mardi Gras season officially starts in many places.  The message, however, is most meaningful.  The treasures that we have been seeking and waiting for are present in the very place where we are right now.  It is found by living in this moment to the fullest.  It is accompanied by the return of a sense of wonder.  How could we have missed it in the first place?

We will find the revelation by showing up.  Three Wise Men did.  Showing up means not only to be present to the day, hour and minute.  This is important enough.  It also means to bring something with us.  We are asked to show up with light, humility and with our personal gifts.  We must be willing to set aside self will in deference to the importance of the here and now.  It is time to allow healing and fellowship rather than drive and determination.  The result is a greater ability to love and an absence of intolerance.  We are no longer better or more important than others.  Beauty and appreciation find a way of flowing into our lives.  There it is.  An Epiphany.

The Next Right Thing

We are charged, in life, with the task of doing “the next right thing”. This implies that there is absolutely nothing that can be done to change the past. There is also nothing that we can do which will generate guaranteed outcomes in the future. It is vitally important to focus on the here and now. This is the time to assess our position, utilize the tools at hand, and move forward with meaningful action and good intentions.

Doing the right thing has three basic component parts:

1. Don’t worry. All that will come of it is an increasing inability to do anything at all. Worry will certainly negatively impact your physical and emotional health.


2. Don’t hurry. Hasty action will rarely achieve good results and might have dire consequences. Take some time, consider the impact of what is about to be done.


3. Don’t hate. The one that is most impacted by hate is the one who is doing the hating. There is no reason to foster this feeling. Hating people, places, or situations only creates deep resentment. Resentment steals the spotlight and hinders the capacity to focus on anything but the negative.

We can be in charge of the present decisions that we are making. We can control our part in every response and reaction. We can do the next right thing.