Lessons From the Extreme in Life. What Drives You to Keep Pushing Forward?
I was on the subway yesterday and saw one of my Ukrainian fellows post on social media. She wrote that a friend of hers had died. This tragic event took place on one of Ukraine’s most active battlefields.
This made me think about when we meet someone. Will the moment we meet be the last time?
I know this sounds sad. I have traveled there many times and met a few people there before February 25, 2021. Sure, in times of adversity, one should approach life with strength and clarity of mind. At the same time, we may feel strange about how to process the sudden takeover of our lives at such a young age. I am trying to make sense of the chaos that life can sometimes bring to us.
The thing is, we have no control over the variables that exist outside of us. This could happen to anyone else if one was born or raised there. He just happened to be a citizen there. We just happen to have a different citizenship or live somewhere else in the world. These are geographical variables. Yet, they make a significant difference in our lives. We have done nothing to cause it.
Moments like these remind me of the brevity of life and the importance of staying centered.
I relate it to Zen Buddhist philosophy. It integrates the concept of wabi-sabi. It values authenticity over perfection and accepts transience as a fact of life.
If we spend less energy on regret or worry, we will have more energy for the present. Don’t miss out on a beautiful moment because you’re uncertain about your place in life.
There’s authenticity over perfection. Celebrate your unique qualities and the natural progression of life. Simplify your life and focus on what matters to you.
See what’s going on. Take a look at the rest of the chessboard; how does it look like?
Immerse yourself and live the experience, even if it’s stressful. Go right through it. Feel it. Cultivate the ability to be in it, to devote everything you have to appreciate the present.
Life’s unpredictability can be scary. It enables full, authentic living, true to who we are. Don’t avoid it. Go completely in it.
We live in a time when it’s vital to let go of distractions. They’re the noise polluting our brains from misleading news. Live life to the fullest.
Being present demands all us and being in good health. It necessitates a strong bond between the body and mind.
We can learn to navigate life’s uncertainty with grace and resilience if we are willing to learn.
Do your best right now to make the most of each day. Enjoy it to the fullest.
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