I heard a story ever so long ago about twin siblings, one a naive, unrealistic optimist and the other an unreconcilable pessimist. The parents tried every strategy imaginable to move them both to a more balanced perspective. On their birthday their presents were wrapped in large, identical boxes. The pessimist twin was first to open the gift. In the large box was a beautiful, new bicycle with a bell on the handlebars and a headlight on the fender. He looked at it for what seemed like a long time and began to cry. When asked what was wrong he replied, “I’ll crash and get hurt and then someone will steal it from me.” and he continued crying. The other twin started tearing the wrapping away from his gift, pulled open the lid and began to laugh and shout with excitement. The box was full of horse poop. He threw it down and ran from room to room, looking behind things, then outside in every space around the house. When his parents finally cornered him they asked, “What are you doing; your present was poop, why are you so happy?” The little boy could hardly contain himself replying; “I’m looking for my new pony.”
Then I went to college, made a career and watched my children grow up and move on. Somewhere on that journey I learned that life is a bitch and then you die but I also learned that when a door closes a window opens somewhere. I have no idea how one becomes an optimist or pessimist but I made the connection between hard/smart work and a reward. I also made the distinction between pushing the rock up the hill and being dragged along behind it. I learned that living in the moment cannot be sustained but it can be framed into a repeating pattern, which I have learned to do. I cannot pause, rewind and undo a troublesome backstory but I can look for an open window.
Eckart Tolle wrote a little book titled, The Power Of Now. I am neither a fan nor a critic of Eckhart Tolle but his little book speaks a profound truth. “Nothing ever happened in the past nor will anything happen in the future. Everything that happens, happens in the present, in the moment, in the Now! When tomorrow or next year arrive, in that moment they will have been transformed into the Now.
There was no ‘Ah-ha’ experience but I got it. It is good to reflect on good times and on lessons learned and making plans is good as well. But the message I get is this; don’t waste the moment waiting on the future or reflecting when there is something more important that can be addressed immediately. I don’t think anybody can keep track of every variable that lands in their lap or stay totally focused on the moment. But I nurture the pattern and with even the slightest prompt I am reminded; look for the open window.
I had one of those bad days recently and I got upset and angry, not knowing how to behave. But then it came to me like the hook-line from a favorite song. I can’t measure how good this life has been to me and even on good days sh*t happens, it’s the tail-side of life’s coin. I can be in the moment, find the open window. I’m not happy but neither will I beat myself up over a the consequence of a bad day last week and a new pony won't change anything. As long as there is no angst or malice on my part, I’ll keep moving my feet and let Happy find me.
Then I went to college, made a career and watched my children grow up and move on. Somewhere on that journey I learned that life is a bitch and then you die but I also learned that when a door closes a window opens somewhere. I have no idea how one becomes an optimist or pessimist but I made the connection between hard/smart work and a reward. I also made the distinction between pushing the rock up the hill and being dragged along behind it. I learned that living in the moment cannot be sustained but it can be framed into a repeating pattern, which I have learned to do. I cannot pause, rewind and undo a troublesome backstory but I can look for an open window.
Eckart Tolle wrote a little book titled, The Power Of Now. I am neither a fan nor a critic of Eckhart Tolle but his little book speaks a profound truth. “Nothing ever happened in the past nor will anything happen in the future. Everything that happens, happens in the present, in the moment, in the Now! When tomorrow or next year arrive, in that moment they will have been transformed into the Now.
There was no ‘Ah-ha’ experience but I got it. It is good to reflect on good times and on lessons learned and making plans is good as well. But the message I get is this; don’t waste the moment waiting on the future or reflecting when there is something more important that can be addressed immediately. I don’t think anybody can keep track of every variable that lands in their lap or stay totally focused on the moment. But I nurture the pattern and with even the slightest prompt I am reminded; look for the open window.
I had one of those bad days recently and I got upset and angry, not knowing how to behave. But then it came to me like the hook-line from a favorite song. I can’t measure how good this life has been to me and even on good days sh*t happens, it’s the tail-side of life’s coin. I can be in the moment, find the open window. I’m not happy but neither will I beat myself up over a the consequence of a bad day last week and a new pony won't change anything. As long as there is no angst or malice on my part, I’ll keep moving my feet and let Happy find me.
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