This We have Now
Rumi
This we have now
is not imagination.
This is not
grief or joy.
Not a judging state,
or an elation,
or sadness.
Those come and go.
This is the presence that doesn’t.
This we have now
is not imagination.
This is not
grief or joy.
Not a judging state,
or an elation,
or sadness.
Those come and go.
This is the presence that doesn’t.
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You can live in the past, or you can live in the present but you cannot live in both. Living takes place in the present with an eye toward tomorrow. Be grateful for what was and move on. Life calls us to live and enjoy the moment, to continually grow, and learn from every experience.
Instants
Jorge Luis Borges
If I could live again my life,
In the next – I’ll try,
– to make more mistakes,
I won’t try to be so perfect,
I’ll be more relaxed,
I’ll be more full – than I am now,
In fact, I’ll take fewer things seriously,
I’ll be less hygenic,
I’ll take more risks,
I’ll take more trips,
I’ll watch more sunsets,
I’ll climb more mountains,
I’ll swim more rivers,
I’ll go to more places – I’ve never been,
I’ll eat more ice creams and less (lime) beans,
I’ll have more real problems – and less imaginary ones,
I was one of those people who live
prudent and prolific lives –
each minute of his life,
Of course that I had moments of joy – but,
if I could go back I’ll try to have only good moments,
If you don’t know – that’s what life is made of,
Don’t lose the now!
I was one of those who never goes anywhere
without a thermometer,
without a hot-water bottle,
and without an umbrella and without a parachute,
If I could live again – I will travel light,
If I could live again – I’ll try to work bare feet
at the beginning of spring till
the end of autumn,
I’ll ride more carts,
I’ll watch more sunrises and play with more children,
If I have the life to live – but now I am 85,
– and I know that I am dying . . .
Always
Pablo Neruda
I am not jealous
of what came before me.
Come with a man
on your shoulders,
come with a hundred men in your hair,
come with a thousand men between your breasts and your feet,
come like a river
full of drowned men
which flows down to the wild sea,
to the eternal surf, to Time!
Bring them all
to where I am waiting for you;
we shall always be alone,
we shall always be you and I
alone on earth,
to start our life!
There are moments in our lives when we look back and think, “I wish I had done it differently.” Unfortunately, none of us have twenty-twenty vision into the future. Our hindsight is much better. I think it’s better to drop hindsight and any reminiscing about what I could have or should have done. It’s over. What’s done is done. It’s better to wave goodbye, take what you’ve learned from the situation and move on. Life happens now and our hopes await for us.
If I can’t figure out how to be happy where I am, how will I figure it out where I want to go? Happiness happens now, in this moment, in this place. It’s up to us to figure it out. Happiness is waiting for us in this moment, we have to open the door to let it in.
What you do today becomes a building block of who you will be tomorrow. Build something you and all who know you can admire.