Don’t Worry, Live in the Present

18. September 2008 by admin.

It is interesting to listen to other people at work, and I did it also.  We are always wishing and looking forward to the weekend when we can do what we really want to do.  It shouldn’t be this way.  The only time we can really appreciate is the present.  And if we are not happy in the present then we really aren’t fulfilling our reason for living.

Many people spend too much time worrying about everything and especially about money concerns.  We worry about the economy.  We worry about terrorist attacks.  We worry about whether or not we will loose our job.  We worry about how we are going to pay off all of our debts.  We worry about whether or not Ms. Jane Doe or Mr. John Doe will still be on American Idol next week.  We worry about the weather.  We worry about how fast our toe nails are growing.  (Just thought I would throw that one in to see if you were listening.)

So let’s take a quick look at what “worrying” does for us.  By worrying are we able to do anything about what is going to happen tomorrow?  By worrying are we able to change what happened to us yesterday?  By worrying today we waste our most valuable asset, TIME.  You see, you can not keep TIME in a bottle, as the song goes.  We all have just 24 hours each day and then that time is gone forever.  Only our memories of the time are ours to keep forever.  What kind of memories will we have if they are clouded by worry?

I need to take a short break.  My horse is rattling his feed tube, trying to get my attention so that I will give him more to eat.  And it is working, clever horse.

Now you may think that I just wasted 3 minutes of my day by going outside to take care of my horse and you would be wrong.  Yes, I could have just as easily shut off the monitor in my office and eliminated the noise.  However, by getting up and jogging the 30 or so yards to the barn I got some exercise.  I even almost gave in and tossed them some more hay, but I didn’t.  That would be training them to beat up on their feed bucket to get more hay and I did not want them to get that idea.

OK, back to worrying.  I know some people will be able to come up with some very good and logical reasons as to the benefits of worrying.  However, I can’t think of any.  Over 67% of what we worry about will never come to pass.  The other 33% we either will solve ourselves or there is nothing we can do about them anyway.

To summarize, when you live in the present you make good use of your asset, time.  Don’t waste time wishing for a future date.  Don’t waste time by regrets of the past.  Do keep memories of the joys of the past.  Do make plans for the joys of the future.  Most important of all do make the most of the present so that in the future, as a result of your plans today, your past memories will be joyous.

Gary

Posted in Living | Print | No Comments »