Hey Everyone,
I know, I know, I’m sprouting new segments on this blog like grass on a new batch of fertilizer. Apologies if necessary. So what exactly is Tangspiration? Unfortunately, it can’t be found on Urban Dictionary (yet) and admittedly, it’s a term that I made-up only a few seconds ago. It means inspiration from my heart, cliche as that my sound. This place afterall is about empowering the everyday woman and I have to say although I’m 20, I’ve been through stuff that I think about and I learn from because after all, we all know that life is just one big learning experience.
Today I’m going to talk about living in the moment. I know this might sound like the lyrics from your favourite rock song but it’s often a concept of life that we overlook. Living in the moment to me is taking any opportunity that comes your way, taking risks, chances and forgetting about your past and even sometimes dismissing the future. It’s hard. It’s hard because we’re scared and we’re afraid of what the future holds for us or what perhaps the past has taught us. But there’s a saying out there that says – What if it all doesn’t work out…but what if it does? Often, we assume that things automatically won’t work out because sometimes its easier to expect the worst than face disappointment. Don’t you think that’s silly though? Let’s look at my perspectives of the past and then the future and see how we can use both of them to tackle the present.
The Past:
Everything happens for a reason. I know that quote has been washed, rinsed and dried probably more than what is necessary but there’s a reason for that and that’s because it’s true. I believe that everyone who walks into your life, walks into your life to teach you something. I’m not talking about the man at Starbucks who made your coffee this morning, I’m talking about significant people. Lovers, haters, friends and family. Everything therefore that happens to you, whether it’s worth smiling or grieving about, happens for you to learn something new. Sometimes I have trouble finding what that something is but eventually I do. And if you live your life that way, you’ll find that you’re a living a much more meaningful and purposeful life. Look at your past as a historical tool box of experiences and I find that whenever I do encounter something new in life, it feels like a test I’ve studied for. Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way.
Don’t be afraid of what the past has taught us. Love like you’ve never been hurt. Take risks like you’ve never been burnt. Live in the moment and don’t be afraid of what you’ve done. Forgive yourself, embrace yourself and then move towards greener pastures because these moments that you are living right now are the only moments you’ll have. It’s 10:27 PM. I’m in my pajamas and I’m typing this for you to read tomorrow morning and sometimes I have to breathe and ground myself again because I forget. I won’t have another 10:29 PM on Nov. 16, 2011 – ever again – and I reckon that’s enough reason for me to believe.
The Future
Sometimes we’re scared to take these opportunities or to do these things that we want to do because we are scared of the consequences or even the outcome of how our decisions will impact the future. And, it’s all for good reason. I’m not saying you should be reckless and that you should live your life without rules and consequences because that would be silly. You know what’s right and wrong and keeping in mind how your decisions will impact others and your own future is important. However, don’t be silly. What we want right now won’t always be what we want in a few years. Just imagine. When I was 17 years old, just 3 years ago, I was a totally different person compared to what I am now. Totally. In 3 years, I could be totally different again. What were you like 3 years ago? Sometimes we’re afraid to let go of something because at this current moment, it seems to be exactly what we’ve always wanted. But the future is uncertain and we have to live with that uncertainty and if we still cling on now, time will continue to move ahead of us and it is our decision whether we want to keep up with it.
Saying that, you don’t know what the future is going to be like. You have no clue. You think you might have some vague idea of what it’s like but you really don’t. You could in fact win the lottery for a billion dollars tomorrow or you could fall madly in love with a stranger, ruining all your plans. We don’t have an inkling of what it will be like, so why are you worrying? Why are you worrying about your decision and future consequences of taking a great opportunity when you don’t know what the future will be like? Isn’t that silly? I’m talking about good opportunities by the way. Recklessness is bad and if you know this is good, take it. Don’t hesitate, just do it. You know it’s going to be good. Don’t be scared of the future. We can only hope that our decisions now will contribute to it but know that hope isn’t going to make things concrete.
What do we do now?
So getting a better idea of the dynamics of the past and future, what should we do now, Roseanne? Seriously, I just spent 15 minutes reading that. Well, there’s no step by step process of doing this. There’s no you gotta do this first or you gotta do that first. How these things work is through belief. If you understand and see the future or the past in a certain way, your actions and ideals will automatically shape itself.
Simply put – To live in the moment, believe that the past is there for us to learn and not to overpower our decisions to live in the present. It is a conscious knowing but it should not hold us back from taking opportunities or taking chances. To live in the moment, believe that the future is uncertain – that we don’t really know what’s going to happen to each of us, and by believing that, it makes us treasure the current moment even more because it is the only moment we have for sure.
I’m not telling you to do whatever you want because you shouldn’t care about the future. I’m not telling you to drop out of school because you don’t like it. I’m not telling you to go steal, rob or take drugs because you shouldn’t care anymore. I’m telling you to take a chance on something good. I’m telling you to let your heart loose with that guy who’s making sure you’re okay everyday. I’m telling you to take that job offer or learn what you’ve always wanted to learn or do what you’ve always loved. I’m telling you to live your life and live a little because when you do that – it’s the only way your life becomes a life that’s worth living.
Love,
Roseanne
Wonderful middle pictures courtesy of the internet :)
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