Living in the past. It’s something most of us do whether we know it or not. It keeps us from enjoying the present moment. Surely you’ve heard, “It’s called the present because it’s a gift.”
My uncle Steve said something many years ago I’ve never forgotten. We were talking about reading books and how important reading is to continue to grow. He said, “I don’t want to know what you’ve already read. I want to know what you’re reading right now.” Seemingly subtle difference with huge implications.
So if I’m living in the past, afraid of the future, and unhappy with the present then where the heck am I? Nowhere is where I’m at. Personally I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of but I’m certainly not ashamed of them either. That collective experience is the flavor of my personality. I wouldn’t trade that flavor for anything.
Back to nowhere. Nowhere is now-here, right? Mike Myers said it in his crazy portrayal of Pitka in The Love Guru. Those self help cliches sound corny, but this particular one is no laughing matter. You are literally Now, Here. There’s no other place or time you can possibly be. Now is the only moment there is. Here is the only place that exists. Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now illustrates this better than most. It’s a little heady, but if you listen to it with your heart it’ll ring through.
Les Brown, possibly the highest paid motivational speaker on the planet, reminds us “Used to bees don’t make no honey!” Stop living on your past accomplishments talking about who you used to be. Stop worshipping others for their past success. Our Hollywood hero worship is a glaring example. The old saying in Tiseltown is, “You’re only as good as your last film.” What a dark cloud to live under, if you so choose.
What you did isn’t who you are. This includes the debt you incurred in the past. What you aspire to do isn’t who you are. Thinking about getting out of debt isn’t enough. What you are doing in this moment defines you. Take action right now toward financial freedom. Don’t just ask, “How am I doing?” Also ask, “How am I being?”
To Your Intellectual Freedom,
Greg Whitaker
Copyright 2012, All Rights Reserved
