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2 min read Presence

Not living life, now

If we spend all our time with our attention on that fabled ‘better tomorrow’, you know what we miss out on? 🤨

Not living life, now
Photo by Fallon Michael / Unsplash

The other day we took an in-depth look at goals, in particular how this whole striving-for-an-outcome thing can trip us up a bit, reinforcing the outside-in illusion by making a fallacious connection between the goal and how we feel.

While I was writing that one, there was a concept that floated up for me—a sort of summary of it all—but then the post ended up going in a slightly different direction, and when I tried to squeeze it in, it didn't fit.

So it's here, instead. Your take-home message:

😩
We can spend our entire lives with our attention on what's next, dreaming of a ‘better tomorrow’ which means we fail to experience, or enjoy the real happiness that is life, NOW.

And I really don't want that for you.

(Or me. Or anyone!)

I scouted around to see if I could find a pithy little cartoon to depict this for you – something to make it visually memorable.

I came across a popular meme that says:

“Tomorrow will be better. And if it's not, I will say it again.”

And I suppose that's all fine and dandy, but it's a tad positive-thinky for my liking, and not really what the Daily Reminders are all about. (The antithesis, in fact!)

So I turned instead to an old favourite: Calvin & Hobbes. I grew up on these cartoons, and am making sure my daughter does, too, because they cut to the heart of the human experience.

Out of the mouths of babes…

Taken from the Calvin & Hobbes Portable Compendium Book 4 p.95 (17th April 1988)
“We're so busy watching out for what's ahead of us that we don't take the time to enjoy where we are.” ~ Calvin

Life's only ever happening now… don't wish it away.

💟

Giles

Mentioned above

I’ll be happy when…
Four words that ruin lives… and yet we don’t even notice 😩

Goals are brilliant… until they're not.