Every self-help exert will tell you to live in the now. Nothing matters except now. The past and the future don’t exist. Your life is right now.
I agree that living in the moment is very important but it’s not very realistic. Even in Daniel Gilbert’s bestseller, Stumbling On Happiness, he opens with the fact that human beings are the only species that think about the past and the future. Our emotions and happiness levels are based on our past experiences. That is what makes us human beings. It’s just the way it is.
But maybe, you really want to just live in the now. You don’t care about the future and you could care less about the past.
It’s all about the now, you say.
This thinking can lead us to make foolish decisions that we, most likely, will regret later on. You might also feel that enjoying crappy food now is not a big deal because you think it makes you happy…now.
I want ice cream now. I want pizza now. I want cheese fries now. I want everything now. And if that makes me happy now…then that’s all I care about!
What about later, though? If you consistently choose to enjoy the now by eating crappy foods then your later won’t be so much fun. (Unless you could care less about how you feel and look.)
If you keep enjoying the now, pretty soon, you’ll find the now very stressful.
For example, those cheese fries might be delicious now but most likely when you’re on the beach this summer, or by a pool, you might hate how you feel and look. You might be disgusted with yourself when it’s time to buy new clothes. You might hate that none of your clothes fit anymore. You might feel sluggish. Those jeans might be a tad too tight. Maybe, you can’t run as far as you used to. Maybe that shirt is too snug.
And you hate it all!
Sooner, rather than later, if you keep enjoying the now, you’ll find your now very upsetting.
I believe it’s a lot easier to be mindful in the now and to ask yourself if you really want to eat the crap you think you want to eat because it’ll make your later a lot easier, more enjoyable and fun.
Because pretty soon, your later, will be the now!
Think about that…NOW!
hmmmm…very interesting.
How true! It’s the old “instant gratification” that will get you all the time! One of the mantras I use when I can’t resist those crispy fries is, ” I know what it tastes like; I’ve had it before.” Sometimes, that is the very reason I go for it, but since my involvement in your program, it is the reason I pass it up!
Saraaa! I’m so glad to hear it…keep rocking! And as you know, nothing tastes better than being healthy and fit does!
How were you able to build the confidence to leave, not only a $55-$60k job, but the benefits of 401k, medical, long-term disability, etc.?
You would need hundreds of clients in order to just make what you made at your corporate job.
And, even at then, with hundreds of clients, do you have the bandwidth to provide the same great service to each and every single one of those clients?
Don’t mean to be rude, but just some food for thought 🙂
Rachel,
You are not being rude at all. I appreciate the food for thought.
I was able to leave because I believe in myself and my ability to make things happen. In college, I started several businesses that did very well so I had a lot of confidence in myself.
Also, it seems as though you are only thinking about money. Money is not my main motivation. I would have stayed at Ernst & Young if all I cared about was money.
What is really important to me is loving what I do and making a difference. I didn’t love what I did at Ernst & Young. I knew if I loved what I did, I’d be very successful.
I believe there’s one secret to providing really great service. And that’s to care. I care so much about my clients and my business. It’s hard not to give great service when you are so passionate about what you do.
Also, not to be rude but your numbers are way off on both the amount of clients I need and how much I made at my corporate job. (Less and more!)
I hope this helps…
-Adam