One trap that I
frequently find myself falling into is dwelling on the past, or worrying about
the future. I know that I am not alone
in this adventure because it is a time-honored part of our human nature. However, what good does it do to fret about
things that are already in the rearview mirror?
Even better- why all the angst about something that may never come to
fruition? Ah, the ping-pong effect of
the monkey mind- it’s enough to drive one bat s**t crazy (pardon the
expression). So where am I going with
all of this? I’ll show you.
All too often we hold on
to: hurt, sadness, grudges, perceived wrongs against us- the list is
endless. What purpose does it serve to
still be angry about something someone may have said/done to us in high school
(it happens)? How many times have you
heard about a family/friend feud that lasted for decades because of what turned
out to be a small misunderstanding. Some
of the best years of our lives have been misspent because we drew a hard line
in the sand. This serves no great
purpose other than to deplete our vital life force energy. Always remember that the past is just that,
and is often unchangeable unless we are willing to reach out and blur the lines
on the beach. What about things that are
yet to come?
A purposeless routine
that my monkey mind likes to do is create scenarios about future events. I cannot tell you how much sleep I have lost
during this exercise (I average 5 to 5 ½ hours as it is). For example, the night before a staff
meeting, I often visualize that said meeting is going to go a certain way- a
person or persons is/are going to say something that leads to an argument. Additionally, my brain almost always creates
a negative outcome for the event, and as a result- I toss and turn all
night. And you know what? 99.999% of the time my little “play” was not
even close to being accurate. Do not get
me wrong- planning for the future is a necessary part of life otherwise we
would never have any goals, aspirations, or progress as individuals, the nation,
and this world. Forecasting the stock
market trends is paramount to a healthy economy, not a negative scenario about
trivial matters. However, it is in the
present where we can forge a more purposeful life.
It is often said that we
are not granted tomorrow, so live as if it never comes. Our lives are not measured in 24 hour
increments, but rather by each tick of the clock (+/- one second). A common scene that I encounter as a
firefighter paramedic is the sudden cardiac death. One second, a person was enjoying a quiet
evening on his/her backyard deck, and the next- transitions from this world. This passing of life happens in an instant,
which leaves very little time to rectify the past or plan for the future. We must learn to live a purposeful life on a
moment by moment basis. So, how can we
do this?
One of my other
occupations is that of a personal trainer/health coach on the campus of a local
community college. One of the greatest
blessings that I receive as a trainer is to work with clients from all walks of
life whom are my constant teachers and inspirations. One of my newest clients is a retired
healthcare professional who now devotes his time to helping children in Middle
Eastern nations. He described his
post-retirement years as “the last great lap around the track” that he wants to
make the most of. He further related
that our mission as an inhabitant of this Earth is to commit to a life of
service to others. I found that to be
one of the most profound statements that I ever heard in my life, and I am
honored to have crossed paths with him in this lifetime.
To me, a purposeful life
calls us to do what motivates, inspires, drives us to do the greatest for the
common good of humanity. Be it
volunteering, donating to charitable causes, participating in an all village
cleanup day, or mentoring the next generation the best way we can. Our job is to prepare the next ones in line
to make the future their own by improving on what we have started. To do this
we must live in the present because as the saying goes “Life is not measured by
the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath
away”.
Stay grounded, stay
purposeful- and don’t let the monkey mind get the best of you. Until next time.
Be
Tim
