"Turn it inside out and see what it is like-what it becomes like when old, sick, or prostituting itself. How short-lived the praiser and praised, the one who remembers and the remembered. Remembered in some corner of these parts, and even there not in the same way by all, or even by one. And the whole earth is but a mere speck." —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 8.21
In my five decades on this planet I’ve lived long enough to sample a good variety of the experiences life has to offer—wins/losses, frailty/strength, euphoria/despair, loyalty/betrayal, and both good/bad fortune. These dualities of life are the best teachers because if we take our egos out of the equation and absorb the lessons they provide us with greater overall perspective and humility.
Everything in our physical world is temporary—I’m not just talking about the hard times, sickness, and challenges but also things like attractiveness, fame, and reputation. It’s just as important not to allow yourself to be seduced by praise of success and greatness as it is to not allow yourself to be broken by life’s hardships.
A lot of people think time automatically imparts wisdom but, as I’ve aged, I’ve learned this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are as many unwise seniors as there are unwise young adults. It’s all about how open we are to life’s lessons and the level of our humility.
We humans misunderstand so much of what we experience but sometimes it’s possible for deep truths to seep through the many imperfections of our senses and emotions directly into our consciousness. If we live from a place of humility, learning the important lessons can become easier as we age.
Longing for the experiences of yesterday do nothing but make us miss out on the experiences of today. It's best to be grateful for what was and open ourselves up to the new gifts of today. We must find ways to ground ourselves, to extract the most enjoyment we can in every phase of life but not become too attached to the permanency of the phases and experiences we pass through in our inner or outer world.
I try to think of my life as a film that, ultimately, someone else is directing. As actors we do have some freedom to change some things like our lines or our actions in a particular scene but many things are outside our realm of control.
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages" - William Shakespeare
It's so easy to recognize the wisdom in these lines from Shakespeare's play, "As You Like It". Time is, indeed, fleeting but if we live with humility and proper perspective life is more than long enough.
For the coming week, set a notification on your mobile device for once during the morning and once in the afternoon yourself or write it on a slip of paper and tape it to your bathroom mirror.
Nothing I experience today —either good or bad, is permanent.
This will serve as a daily reminder throughout the next week to ground yourself in a place of greater humility.
Be well, make the most of this day. Thank you for reading!
If you're interested in learning to meditate, please take a look at my book, The Perfect Pause.
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