"So what is the difference?" the crowd enquired.
I think, fulfilment is an ambition for the future, a goal that we set ourselves. This goal gives us something to strive towards and organise our efforts around. I know from my own experience that steps on the way to achieving many goal's are often hard, tedious and sometimes downright unpleasant. It is the end result which holds the promise of fulfilment. We are industrious little animals, us humans. We need some aim in our lives no matter what it is. I think our mind's need this focus.
Did I not mention happiness? I am fully convinced that these two, seemingly identical emotions, exist on completely different plains. Happiness, true happiness can only exist in the moment. The now. This is where I feel I have let myself down. I have been failing to fully enjoy the moments as they happen, the small one and the big ones. To make best use of them I think I need to abandon the past and the future. Exist only in the moment and take all it has to offer.
Which delivers me to the crux of the issue, balance. If they are both important, which is more so? Where should the balance lie? Okay, the answer is easy, I haven't a notion.
The old saying "to much of anything is bad for you" is very true. I seriously doubt that running around hugging trees or cooing at butterflies, like some demented hippy will lead to a lasting happiness. However, taking a few moments each day to enjoy what the world is showing us can do a lot of good. Without a plan we are in danger of letting the days slip by with nothing to show for them.
We can't all fly to the moon or climb Mount Everest. No goal is more important than another. What matters is how important the goal is to you. Time is fleeting and I have no idea how much of it I have left in the tank. My goals are set, and journey has begun and believe it or not, if you're reading this, your coming along for the ride. Hold on, it might get bumpy.
lovely writing!! :) I love this quote by Eckarte Tolle on time and being present! “Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.”
ReplyDeleteSo very true. How much stress do we bring in our lives everyday worrying about what has passed and what is to come. We never seem to stress too much about what is happening right now but neither do we take the time to enjoy what should be enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteRecently I have taken to some Mindfulness meditation exercises which make your mind focus on this moment and only this moment. Such a great way to relax, you should give them a go. Thanks so much for the lovely comment and so apt.