Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Be Here

Here is my recent epiphany - and it really isn't an epiphany at all...more like a recognition of a condition existing within everyone in the midst of early adulthood: we can only control so much of where we are and what we do, but we can completely control how we react to it.

I am surrounded by people who are "working toward this" and "doing this for now, until the economy turns around" - I must confess, I have been one of them, essentially since about one year into my working life. I recently realized the fault in this way of thinking though - it cheapens the experience of every day leading up to "that point", if that epic moment of self-realization ever even occurs.

Life is not about getting to that place where all the stars align, where we spend every moment of every day doing precisely what we have always wanted to do. Now, a few lucky people will read this and say "the only reason he says that is to help him justify his lack of drive to achieve his dreams." I know nothing I can say will convince you otherwise. All I can tell you is that I am a driven person - my realization is that my drive needs to be healthy. It needs to have its place in my life; not the top of my priorities, yet still a priority. If my emotions, my strength, are completely plowed into my drive to do something more - be it more "fun," more "significant," more "meaningful," or more "how I was wired" - I will be left empty every day things don't fall exactly into place.

We are vessels in this world. We get to choose what we are vessels of, and I think that is the greater question than "what will I do with my life, and with whom will I spend it." Will I be a vessel of LOVE? A vessel of JOY? A vessel which attempts to transfer the many, many blessings I experience on a daily basis to others? Or will people look at me as this man who is always focused on some other place than the place he is, who does not appreciate the simple pleasures of the here and now, and ultimately may never be fulfilled? I pray not.

I challenge you to look at your life; look at your daily thoughts, and where you place your emotions and strength. Do you utilize these things to fully experience the love, the joy, the blessings of today? Or are you continually left with the feeling of an empty cup in your hand, constantly in search of something to fill it...? Look again. Your cup is FULL. Love abounds. The sun rises and a vibrant, lively world. Be a part of it. Don't give up on your dreams, but rather own them in their right place, instead of being consumed by another reality.

At the end of the day, I was not made for this place. If I die tomorrow, I hope I fully experienced today with the joy that comes with the overwhelming blessings I'm surrounded by.

1 Comments:

Blogger Farmer Heath said...

Ty, this is good stuff and I really enjoyed reading your thoughts. It definitely got me a little more grounded and thankful. Keep it up.

11:32 PM  

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