The Present Costs Us Something Too

One reason we struggle to live in the present is because it costs us something: control. When we try to control our life (the outcomes of all our efforts, our environment, and the people around us), we inevitably find ourselves spending the majority of our time living in the future rather than in the present. As a result, life becomes increasingly complicated (the future holds infinite possibilities and threats) and increasingly less meaningful (meaning is found in the present, not the future). We can live with greater simplicity and presence, but it always costs us some sense of control. 

THIS WEEK: Spend some time thinking about how you may be trying to control, rather than influence, the outcomes of your life. In what ways has this complicated your external life? In what ways has this complicated your internal life?

 

All the best,

Steve Lawson - Monk Manual Founder

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