The power of 'now'. Are people translating it incorrectly?
Its amazing you know, there are countless books out there now that suggest being in the now is the key to happiness. The general concept is that everything to be happy is found in the present moment. One can't find happiness in the future, because the only time we experience is this present moment. Some will go as far to say that being in the future simply brings unhappiness. Mostly, I agree with this. It doesn't stop my endless day dreaming about my island full of magic monkey babes swinging from the trees while we sip on coconuts and listen to great jungle music, but it has stopped my from projecting being unhappy with the current situation.
There's this age old belief that what you focus on expands which I can't really fault. Focus on what makes you unhappy and you find more reasons why you are unhappy and so forth and vice versa what you are grateful for somehow we start noticing more things we are grateful for. But I digress as the reason I am writing is the mass confusion around this whole present-be-in-the-moment business. The dysfunctional trend I have noticed with modern be-in-the moment devotees is that they are not happy with what is, actually somehow they have completely transformed the teaching from everything you need to be happy can be found in the now in your current circumstances TO everything you want to be in your current circumstances should be here and now. See the mutation? See how distorted it is? Let me re-iterate it big bold letters:
Original teaching that has brought people happiness for thousands of years:
everything you need to be happy can be found in the here and now
The new age self appointed mystics version:
everything I want to be happy should be in the here and now.
Hey, its just a subtle difference so who cares? Well - I care... its given birth to a new age kind of spiritual monstership of greed and that is the antipode of what the teaching is about. The concept is supposed to make people happy with what is, therefor desiring and craving less, or more from less -- to now people being discontent from more. The average entrepreneur has assets, is relatively healthy, is not living in a warzone or living in sardine cans or a refuge camp and yet STILL wants more! Thats why I care.
Growing up with little possessions myself - I became familiar with the difference between something I wanted and something I needed. However in my last job, I remember being told often what my bosses needed. "I need this by 5pm today" to which I would silently rebel "Actually you need air and water by 5pm - you actually want this task completed by 5pm". In our modern western world, wants have been translated into needs. Big mistake.
Am I anti-more or wanting stuff? Hardly. But do I believe you can somehow bipass the whole what you focus on expands thing? The whole law of gravity thingemy jig? Nope. Let me explain. You want more or you want more abundance or free time while you are focusing on what you don't have and what you are missing. You're wanting to encourage a more spacious world while coming from a space of lack. And how does that effect things? Well it effects the language you use and the way you go about generating opportunities with others. Personally, I find it repulsive when somebody is coming from a greedy state. I want I want I want I want. My mind just hits the off switch and I do something else.
So now we're in a world wide kind of recession. Has the mutated lesson caught up with us? Isn't it interesting that while the western world e.g Europe and America and Australia are starting to feel the pinch, while the cultures who have been learning to be happier with less are beginning to go through a boom? China and India for example are building new cities while the US is scraping for jobs. Funny that? Is it just cyclical like the weather changes between the east and the west or is it plain and simple a moronic belief systems catching up with us?
In ways, I am happy the world is going through a recession. I'm grateful for it. I think we really need it just to get back in touch with what we really need. And what do we need to be happy and healthy? After a trip to Bali earlier this year, I saw kids on the streets with whiter teeth than me and bigger smiles than me while riding around on rusty bicycles and 10th generation hand-me-down clothing. I couldn't help but feel these parts of the world that have been living in what would be considered economic poverty have something now to offer us must-have-everything-now society of greed we've become to comfortable in.
1 comment
May 02, 2011
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