Saturday, February 06, 2010

Best use of "now"

 The following is a quote from the daily spiritual guidance I receive via email:

People say. "If I'm always setting goals and reaching for the future, then am I not squandering my now?" And we say if in your now you're using a future event to make you feel good, you are still feeling good in your now. And that's the best use of now that you could ever find.

The guidance I've received from this source has always been sound.   And the above paragraph makes perfect sense to me.  When I read it, I thought of my recent house-hunting escapades (which are not that recent- my last one took place nearly 2 years ago).

During the times I was totally wrapped up in finding a Victorian house in the downtown neighborhood, friends criticized me.  They said I was "distracting myself."  Distracting myself from what?  From an unpleasant current reality?  What's wrong with that?

I remember how I felt when I thought I was getting the house of my dreams.  It was a high!  It was energizing.  It caused me to tackle my lifelong problem with housekeeping (because my current house had to be in showing condition).   I think that anyone who is setting out to live according to his/her beliefs is going to experience an improved state of mind.  By living near downtown, I would be adhering to my belief in getting around without the almighty automobile.  I wanted to walk to work, walk to run errands, walk everywhere.  Europeans and New Yorkers who live that way are measurably healthier than the rest of us.

There were several Victorian houses which I pursued leading up to the last and best one 2 years ago.  The last one was so perfect for me and The Child that I gave up after that.  The price of that house was unrealistically low- I had waited 3 years to make my offer, watching the price gradually reduce because that house was not suited for the average buyer (it lacked a garage to house the almighty automobile!):

Since then I have become "distracted" by other things, but nothing has had the powerful effect on me that the house dream did.  Yesterday, when I had no choice but to drive down dangerously icy roads to get to and from work downtown, I thought wistfully of that house which was almost mine.  Had I lived in the dream house, I could have walked or bussed to work. (Or I could have driven a few short blocks!)

The older I become, the more convinced I am that we live life in our heads.  How else can we explain why 2 people going through the same experience have 2 completely different responses?  If our head happens to be distracted by the possibility of a dream come true, then so much the better.

4 comments:

Constance said...

Dear Betty,
Some things are excellent motivators.
You know inside what stimulates you in a positive way and keeps you focused.

That is being present in a way some people cannot understand.
It is the initial steps towards the creation of a dream.
People who criticize may not understand its symbolism for you.

I'd ignore their chatter and start looking for another house:)

Lynilu said...

Know what? I think if what you're doing makes you happy, makes sense to*you*, and isn't illegal/immoral, DO IT! Somebody's always got something to say, but they aren't YOU! As you said, no one knows the inside of your head but you. Trust yourself.

I live where most of my friends and family members wouldn't live. I often stay home for several days in a row, because I want to. When people express concerns/dislikes about it, I just smile and close my ears. It's my life.

Laurie said...

I'm with Lynilu...She always seems
to have just the right things to
say...The right advice...

I've come to the conclusion in my
that things happen for reasons that
we do not know...Also that they
are our lessons in life...Our
experiences so to speak...
I wish you the best ALWAYS!!!!

Love,


Laurie

Big Dave T said...

Lots of truth in what you say here. I particularly like the parts about the automobile. We would be much better off without one, then walking. That's so hard to do in this country though. In London, everybody seemed to walk, take the train, or take the subject, and they all seemed to have so much energy. We need to move over there.

I'd write more, but I'm going to walk on my lunch!