Key word: worry. With as many age-defying creams out there and "cosmic" elixirs that are sure to add years to our lives, what do we have to worry about? Is that where our fountain of youth is found? What if I told you there really is no fountain of youth, or more so that it's not found in forever creams and neon drinks? The bible says, "Grey hair is a crown of splendor, it is attained by a righteous life (Proverbs 16:31)" and "Remind me that my days are numbered (Psalm 39:4)". Would that make any impression on you about life? Would that grant you a different perspective about the kinds of choices you would make for yourself? I don't know about you, but there is a reason I am getting grey hairs on my head and wrinkles on my face, and I can guarantee it's not so that I can contribute to the insatiable feeding of the cosmetic industry. I am quite simply...living. I don't live in tomorrow anymore. I used to live in many fantasies about what I wanted for myself in my future. I used to live in my future. It was my escape from my present. I used to wonder how old I will be when I die, so that I can plan my days out before it happens.
The more I lived in my future, the less I lived in my present, and the less I lived in my present, the more I got away from reality, and the more I got away from reality...well, surely I missed something. I couldn't tell you what it might have been because I was too busy thinking about my future! I was sitting around waiting for my future to show up, when IN reality, the future did not and does not exist. Do you catch what I'm trying to say here? Worrying about how long your life will be only takes you out of the now because what are you thinking about? You are thinking about the future. I came across a quote that really made a light bulb turn on for me. It goes like this: "We must let go of the life we have planned so as to accept the one that is waiting for us". How simply profound. We have no control over tomorrow, that is, if we're fortunate to be given one. When it comes, what shall we do with it - wish we had yesterday back? Speaking for myself, I prefer to savor what is in front of me. Right now, it is one minute until one of my favorite food shows comes on, so I will sign off and enjoy it. Hey, I may get a great cooking tip!
NEXT WEEK: Clouds and other little things
