Deciding What Really Matters

Imagine you have been informed that you have only a short while to live. Unpleasant I am sure as it is to imagine, what comes to mind? What would you do with the rest of your life. What would you want to do? Who would you spend that time with? Asking yourself the big questions, and imagining yourself in the most pressure-filled situations is the best way that I know to come into an awareness of Self. Knowledge of Self is the prerequisite for knowing what you'd do in any given situation and what matters most to you.

 It has been my privilege to provide mental health services to people of ages ranging from 3 years to 105 years. Regardless of age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, and/or religion, what I have learned of humanity is that above all other things only a few things really matter to us: Love; Family; Achievement; Happiness; and Kindness. We seek and find these vital elements through our pursuit of virtues. Among the Loyalty, Generosity, Trust, Faith, Courage, Honor, and Honesty.

Unfortunately, the trappings of modern society and the observance of the passing of time too often distract us from tending to that which matters most. Master Bruce Lee impressed upon his student that knowing what you feel "is like a finger pointing to the moon. Don't focus on the finger or you will miss all the heavenly glory." 

There are things that quicken your soul, brighten the world around you, and cause you to radiate positive energy out into the universe. If you haven't found those things, keep seeking. If you know what they are but have neglected them, stop stalling. And if you are living a life of passion, share it with those who matter to you.

Don't Waste Your Time Reading This

If you're reading this already, you are one of the hopefully few people that needs to read this. Internet articles and blog posts are a newer way for people prone to procrastinate to excel at wasting their time. I recently read an "article" about 40 things men over 40 should no longer say, and I quickly realized it was a complete waste of time. While it did stimulate thoughts and contribute commentary to a few pseudointellectual discussions and help pass the time spent on the toilet, it did little to actually improve my life. That is the case with 90% of the things you can read on the internet.

Before writing this blog post, I saw an article on how to stop procrastinating. Instead of clicking on the link, I simply answered the question for myself and found my answer just as helpful as anything I might find in the article. The answer was, in part, not read the damn article.

In the time I could be reading someone's possibly well expressed thoughts on how to stop procrastinating, I can write my own quick article and at least feel like I was productive. Similarly, rather than reading this blog post you could be getting a workout in, cleaning the house, planting a garden, reading a book to your child, or doing work for your job.

Life is a series of precious moments that don't deserve to be wasted. You can't get the time back. If you get into the habit of clicking and reading every catchy headline, you could be wasting a lot of your life consuming information that does next to nothing to enrich your life.