Unlike a lot of people, I've never been one to make New Year's resolutions. Don't really see the point in it. A lot of folks spend a great deal of thought making these long lists and, in a few short weeks or months, they forget about them or they throw up their hands because they aren't making much progress.
I don't think Lao Tzu or Chuang Tzu would favor the making of such resolutions. Both stressed living in the moment and allowing the future to take care of itself. This is not to suggest that we live our lives as if we have blinders on, but, if you want to be successful in the future, you need to begin the first step now.
For me, I think this underscores the inherent problem with resolutions. We look far off into the horizon at some distant objective. Because the target is so far away, it gives us the ready-made excuse to begin to work on the issue on some future day...a future day that often never comes.
If there is change in your life that you wish to make, then make it today. When and if tomorrow comes, then you can repeat the process. Take it one step at a time and quit worrying so much about the final objective.
I don't think Lao Tzu or Chuang Tzu would favor the making of such resolutions. Both stressed living in the moment and allowing the future to take care of itself. This is not to suggest that we live our lives as if we have blinders on, but, if you want to be successful in the future, you need to begin the first step now.
For me, I think this underscores the inherent problem with resolutions. We look far off into the horizon at some distant objective. Because the target is so far away, it gives us the ready-made excuse to begin to work on the issue on some future day...a future day that often never comes.
If there is change in your life that you wish to make, then make it today. When and if tomorrow comes, then you can repeat the process. Take it one step at a time and quit worrying so much about the final objective.
Reminds me of perhaps my favourite Taoist quote:
ReplyDeleteThe path is the way and the objective.
Agreed. My sister and bro-in-law are constantly going on about how shitty they feel when they eat junk food, saying "man we need to get back on the healthy diet." But they don't practice it in life. It's always "tomorrow" but you can't eat anything tomorrow; only now.
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