THE FUTURE

I spend a tremendous amount of time preparing for the future. I am certain that I am not alone in this endeavor. I do so by living in the present. For me, living in the moment IS PREPARING FOR MY FUTURE. What I hope for, gives contour, and informs my action and thoughts during the day. Think of what you know about suicide, depression, etc. Those who suffer feel as if they have no future, that the world would be better without them and that thought takes complete control and shapes their action. (If you are feeling this way, please seek help).

Similarly, if I charge each moment, each thought with a spark of “l have a future,” the resulting life is dominated by purpose. That purpose potentially snuffs out anxieties and fantasies, declutters my thoughts, helps me to rid myself of unused and unnecessary stuff and leaves more available time to relish the moment. This reads and sounds like a lot of jibber-jabber. How does it play out in my day to day.

A wise and wisdom filled friend dropped a pearl in my life a few years. She dropped it a long time before I picked it up. She prays and thanks God daily for a long and healthy life. I began to pray the same for myself, family, and friends. What I want for the future helps me to try to choose the highest good, the clearest path thus shaping my actions and thoughts during the day.

It is important to me that I spend time nurturing my thoughts in meditation. I carve out time for physical activity. Conscious healthy eating is in the back of my mind even when the cookie is being masticated between my teeth. I work at appreciating nature while walking, to visualize and hear when reading, to enjoy the taste and texture of what I am eating – to be present in the moment but with the realization that these practices can be beneficial for the long healthy life that I desire.

Sometimes I look back and see success. Sometimes I see something less. But in the words of Miles Davis, “If you hit a wrong note, it’s the next note that you play that determines if its good or bad.”

I can identify the good and bad notes when present in the moment – attentive to what I am doing. The growing edge for me has been double sided – being firmly planted in the moment with an eye (hope) on the future and not allowing the future thoughts to rob me of the present.

2 Corinthians 4:18

PONDER THIS THOUGHT----My hope for tomorrow is shaped by today.