The Next Moment
The Grasshopper whispered this to me the other day,
“Each next moment is born in this moment.”
Much of our lives are spent getting to another moment, other than the one we’re in. The difficulty we run in to with that strategy is that the building block for the next moment can only be laid in this moment. If we’re ignoring this moment, you can easily see how an expectant future never gets built because we are on a mental coffee break in this moment. The expectant future never develops because there are no building blocks laid now.
Futures can only be built now. That means by paying attention to this moment, you are building a future with real substance. This is not a rant against daydreaming. I think that is a wonderful use of our intellect. It’s a nice diversion from our critical mind and it’s very entertaining. You have chosen to entertain yourself in that moment.
But if your goal is to get to the next moment by ignoring this one, the next moment has the tendency to catch the future flu. That means that when the future arrives it has the same symptoms of the moment you were ignoring to get there. It’s a self perpetuating pattern that will run until you notice it and interrupt it. When you notice and interrupt your penchant for getting to the next moment, you are giving your full attention to what is happening now.
Call it “quality attention.”
See how much quality attention you can bring to the picnic today and then notice how each new moment has substance and aliveness attached to it. Pay attention to the aliveness of each moment and you will be building something of substance – not an illusionary future that never arrives.
All the best,
John
http://cdbaby.com/cd/johnmorgan
http://www.cafepress.com/grasshoppernote/3580301
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