Wednesday, 9 January 2013

Living in the present

Along with many other people this last week has seen us trying to put everything back to normal after Christmas. I love putting the decorations up and enjoy seeing them about but can't wait to take them down again after twelfth night. As I was sorting and tidying I came across a piece of paper on which I'd written a quote that I heard on Radio 2 last year by the Dalai Lama. I couldn't remember all of it at the time but it did set me thinking and I took the time to copy it out from the internet later. It's very thought provoking and helps put things into perspective.
See what you think about it and let me know

'Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
He is so anxious about the future he does not enjoy the present-the result being that he does not live in either the present or the future. He lives as if he is never going to die and then dies never having lived.'




25 comments:

  1. Unfortunately many who do the first thing don't actually live to do the second, and then there are those who are given a second chance at life and the prospect of a future and don't grab it with both hands. J's friend had 2 heart attacks the week before I was admitted to hospital with my heart condition. He was 45 at the time. He had stents fitted, lost a bit of weight, did a bit of exercise and stopped smoking. Unfortunately that didn't last - he has piled on weight, is smoking more than ever,doesn't exercise at all and is definitely enjoying living in the present at the risk of not having a future. His arteries are probably in the process of furring up again - and he'll be a victim of the ' pill and pie' diet he's following. A friend I met at the heart charity I went to, grabbed his second chance at life and a future with both hands. He was 64 at the time, lost 3 stones in weight, cycles/ runs every day and watches what he eats - he has an eye on the future aswell as living in the present.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very true.My OH has a string which you wear round your neck which has been blessed and handled by the Dalai Lama.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think we can all learn from that quote.
    Love from Mum
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy New Year Anne
    I agree wise words. I hope this year's a good one for us all, and that we appreciate what we have right now, not what we could have.
    Love, Sally x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sad, but so often true. All the best wishes for a wonderful 2013 xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Very thought-provoking! Just how I feel at the moment really. Jx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hello Anne,
    I'm so glad you came across this quote. I think I might write this out and pin it up where I can see it. Thanks so much for sharing.
    Ali x

    ReplyDelete
  8. How thought-provoking! And how true! What a great quote this is - thank you for sharing it with us.
    Carly
    x

    ReplyDelete
  9. A quote which sums up my view on life.

    ReplyDelete
  10. A true statement indeed, and one which we all need to be reminded of from time to time. Thanks for haring Anne!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Never a truer word spoken. Grab life with both hands and enjoy it.
    June

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wise, Wise words of wisdom....
    Love it , Anne.
    Love Maria x

    ReplyDelete
  13. Life is short so get on and enjoy it while you got it.Happy new year Anne xxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a wise man so very true.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sad but true. My motto is Carp Diem - Seize the day
    Patricia x

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sadly, very true. What a topsy turvy world we live in.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Anne. Boy, oh boy, is that a truthful quote. Thanks for your nice comments to me. If I had known of that quote before, (well I really did know of that quote because we seem to live it every day without knowing we know)maybe I should have lived in the here and now as we did get snow early last evening, but just enough to shut down our TV dish so that I missed my favorite show!!..Well, we can start afresh tomorrow..Happy Thursday..Judy

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks everyone who left a comment.It seems to have struck a chord with everyone.XX

    ReplyDelete
  19. Gosh that is one amazing quote and has definatly made me stop and think.
    so very true.
    love jooles x

    ReplyDelete
  20. Wow!!! So true. Makes you really think xx

    ReplyDelete
  21. A very thought provoking quote. It makes you see things in a diferent way. Maggie xx

    ReplyDelete