Thought for the weekend….

The first offering on matters spiritual from Birmingham Press reader Gordon Harley.

The Dalai Lama was asked what surprised him most.  “Man surprises me the most! Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future , that he does not enjoy the present, the result being that he does not live in the present, or the future, he lives as if he is never going to die and then he dies never having really lived.”

Does this apply to you? Are you always chasing , rushing to get things done, no sooner one thing finished and you’re onto the next thing. If life is a journey why does it seem that you are on the fast train, rushing to get somewhere but missing the journey – ending up at your final destination with the real possibility that you missed the point of it all.

Life is about now – enjoying the present moment. How often do you see people sitting with other people and yet be on the phone – are they looking for something better? – missing the time with the people they are actually with.

I firmly believe that the greatest pleasures in life come from the simplest of things – spending time with friends and loved ones, sharing a meal and chewing the fat (putting the world to rights!). Doing this does not mean that I can forget about the future and my responsibilities, my holidays and pension plans. Life is not an ‘either or’, it is always an ‘and’ – live now and ensure you have enough for tomorrow.

Choose what you do but think about how you spend your time – being with others and enjoying the moment. Do a little more of this and you will be surprised by how much better you will feel.

Spend more time being rather than doing.