Lately I've been finding it hard to focus on dreams - in fact I've been trying to give up on my dreams
... to just live where I am now
Maybe to change the dream to one of being able to be content with what I'm doing now, instead of constantly trying to improve, move upwards ....
Does that make sense?
A friend was talking about her husband's depression and reckoned that ambition, or thwarted ambition was the biggest contributor to it .... that at this time in this world we are all trying to improve something ... our bodies, our minds, our status .....that we're never content with where we are .... and it made sense to me..Maybe it'd be better to enjoy now, appreciate how far I've come and stop worrying about where I think I should be.
Nature doesn't have to improve on what She already is ... just perfect.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Have a wonderful weekend...
I think you are on to something with this idea of being happy with what is rather than needing to ratchet up the line of betterness. The betterness is in what is. Sometimes we forget. Sometimes it takes us awhile to get that. Lovely post!
ReplyDeleteThank you Karen
DeleteOh I do know what you mean Fil. It feels like such an exquisite balancing point - not pulling yourself out of the now by reaching into the future or stepping back into the past. Today I was thinking about a Buddhist saying along the lines of "If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep walking."
ReplyDeleteI love that quote Deborah ... looking at it as a positive aspect of balancing rather than the loss ...I'm a Libran so balance is always a struggle for me ....So glad I posted this now ... I nearly didn't ...
DeleteAfter years of emotional torment I stumbled upon the greatest advice I've ever been given, via my study of Buddhism: LIVE IN THE MOMENT. It doesn't mean to not plan, or to not remember the past, it's more about cherishing what's going on right now rather than *living* in the future or the past. I found that so much of my depression and angst over dreams deferred or dreams put aside dissipated. You waste so much of right now by obsessing over what could have been, or what you think can't be. Just my thoughts! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Teresa - I think you've hit the nail on the head ... what's that saying about finding your peace and the rest will follow or something like that ...
Deleteof late, I am finding that I dream in different ways. Having the big dream or, more accurately, the pressure to have the big dream, was life draining for me. If in the moment, I can be aware and ask myself what if questions and those really dig deeper for me. On the surface, I might say, "What if I had the money to fly across the country and take that weeklong retreat and class" ... and that might be ok, maybe I could dream of ways to generate the money and maybe it would be in alignment with moving toward a dream. But the next question might be, what if I didn't need to take that class? What if I already know all that I need to know? and that is the deeper question. For me, pursuing a dream usually means focusing on a lack ... or needing any other moment than this one. I have to challenge myself on it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post.
It helps me dig deep into defining my own journey.
That's a great approach Cynthia .... I'm going to try asking those questions ... thank you ... draining is exactly what's been happening ...
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