Today's post is a reflection on our tendancy as humans to live constantly looking backwards. We live expectantly, hoping at some level that the past will come back again. Looking back, we always see things as so much better - life was idyllic, there were no problems, etc. By living in the dream world of the past, we can lose ourselves and forfeit our present and our future. We can see this reflected on us from the investment world in the statement, "past performance is not a predictor of future yields" - caveat emptor. So it is with our health, wellness and wholeness (HW2).
My teenage boys were watching one of the Harry Potter movies on cable last week. This episode in the saga had a young Harry discovering the "Mirror of Erised". This mirror shows the heart's fondest desire - for Harry, a re-uniting with his dead parents and the ability to have a family life. ("Erised" is "desire" spelled backwards, in case that had flown by you.) Professor Dumbledore finds Harry staring longingly at the mirror and tells him that people have wasted away in front of it - longing for their heart's desire, but never doing anything to achieve it.
Our HW2 is like that as well. We view pictures of ourselves from times past, and think about how in shape, how strong, how vital, etc., and attempt to recover that image. Even though, many years have gone by, and the basic physiologic processes of aging have taken control. We are encouraged in this misadventure by the "talking heads" on the info-mercials which indicate that regaining our past is something we can accomplish if only we invest in their product(s). Especially popular are the quick fixes (e.g., Take this pill and lose an enormous amount of weight; Drink this elixir and you'll be younger and have more energy). So we spend our money and find that the outcomes ("results not typical") are less than suggested. Our wellness and wholeness take another hit.
The approach that is working for me and others is to live in the present. Take each day as the gift that it is. Use it to the fullest and make mindful decisions about what you do and what you eat. Consider living for today, each day, the best way you can (as a good steward of the gift of your life) and over time, you will receive your heart's desire.
Peace and grace,
Dan
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I agree totally! We must live in the now and be consistent with the intrinsic values common to mankind -- peace and grace, as you say.
ReplyDeleteWe are responsible for our actions and the results of our actions, rather than the 'quick fixes' based on pills and elixirs and 10-point lists.
Wholeness in Living, we are all one.
Peace