I was racing back home from the computer store, busily doing my errands, trying to get things done. I noticed a restaurant and shopping center to my right, on the freeway. I’d been curious about this place for almost a year. Today, instead of driving by, I turned off the highway and pulled into the parking lot. I spent the next three hours browsing through the stores filled with antiques, trinkets, and gourmet foods. Then I enjoyed a leisurely dinner—a juicy hamburger and a chocolate malt—at the restaurant before returning home. The stores had always been there; I’d always driven past. Today I stopped, satisfied my curiosity, and enjoyed myself.
It’s easy to spend our lives working toward a goal, convinced that if we could only get there, we’d be truly happy then. Today is the only moment we have. If we wait until tomorrow to be happy, we’ll miss out on the beauty of today.
Have your plans. Set goals.
Let yourself be happy now.
~ Melody Beattie, from “Be Happy Now” & More Language of Letting Go
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I cannot agree with her more!
Kudos to stopping and enjoying instead of rushing and thinking…. later…
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Yes. So agree.
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Melody’s practical wisdom always resonates …. especially the chocolate malt part. 💛
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Esp that!
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It’s good to take time to breathe (and eat chocolate.)
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Especially chocolate part!
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““Oh, now, now, now, the only now, and above all now, and there is no other now but thou now and now is thy Prophet.”
~ Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls.
After a couple of days home, sick, I pushed myself to go to work today. In the shower I said, ” Please, God, let it be a meaningful day.” Not just about money or goals, but a meaningful day. I want to remember everyone I talk to!
Days when we don’t stop and smell the roses are exhausting. Life is too short.
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So deep! And soulful. Hope you feel better Sawsan. (and love the Hemingway. Read book. Don’t remember it)
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Much better, thank you. And it was a meaningFUL day. My bucket overflowed 🙂
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Excellent!
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Reminds me of my “Take the Backroads” story. Maybe we are starting to find answers to life’s persistent questions?
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And I so love your “Take the Backroads” story. When’s the sequel coming?
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There have already been a few. I’ll send links when I get home
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thanks.
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As a kid and young adult and fine, alright, a 40-something, I repeatedly found myself thinking, “I’ll relax and live in the moment once I finish ‘x’: the degrees, the goals I set for this year, the new exercise challenge, the obligation of the day (fill in blank here).’ Well, I’m 50-something now and have finally gotten it through my thick skull that this ain’t no dress rehearsal. Have to embrace the little victories as they come. I’ve recently started working with a new obedience trainer to correct some bad habits and issues that my 7-year-old Lab has developed, and I am happy to report ‘Ya *can* teach an old dog new tricks.’ I’m thrilled with his progress AND it’s made me realize that one can always, always grow and learn and take a different path. It’s TODAY, it’s now, it’s what I’ve got for the moment and for who knows how much longer. NOW — think that’s my word for 2019. 🙂
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Smiling. I’m so far far behind. Happy for you.
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Gosh – just how old do we have to get to ‘get the message’? I’m there, but then, I’m no longer a freshling for some time already – and honest to God, my life has become so infinitely better since I discovered that if I live every day with joy, take everything with a certain amount of enthusiasm and even IF I can’t master that, it still doesn’t mean that it’s a bad day – and I still can have myself a chocolate milk (as I did yesterday when I visited my son and daughter in law in Switzerland – and that AFTER the espresso…. – just BECAUSE).
Wonderful post – Thank You
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Thank you Kiki. I have yet to fully get this message. But working on it.
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David; I know, and I apologize. Had to think myself a bit more to re-discover what I meant to say :)… My ‘excuse’ is that I’m presently in CH, talking F with Hero Husband, visiting son & daughter in law where I speak good High German with her and Swiss German with him, reading, writing and discussing in E with friends & on the phone…. and otherwise spend the day speaking ‘normal’ German with everybody else.
Therefore, allow me to quote It’s easy to spend our lives working toward a goal, convinced that if we could only get there, we’d be truly happy then. Today is the only moment we have. If we wait until tomorrow to be happy, we’ll miss out on the beauty of today.. THIS was what I wanted to underline…. simple, if one understands 😉
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I love your comments, Kiki, I really do, and I love the visual of you ‘speaking in tongues,’ so to say, even more. Turn your head and it’s a different language. How I envy your facility…it’s something I always dreamed of…. xoxo
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It’s not always a blessing but mostly I’m fine with it. I also have no problem whatsoever to riducule myself – often…. I’m beyond feeling guilty or ashamed of nearly anything that happens in my life ! It helps to be happy.
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“People always talk about how horrible old age is, but I couldn’t disagree more,” she said, the candlelight glimmering on her inclined face. “I find age is as intense as adolescence. You know you could hurtle off a cliff at any second. And because of that there’s a sense of destiny, of apprehending things, of love that isn’t available — or wasn’t available to me — earlier. You feel: I’ve survived this ordeal, and now I don’t have to worry. I know how my life has worked out. All the anxiety that I put into the hard questions has fallen away. I can take my satisfactions where they are.” She looked down at her plate of clam toast with pancetta. “I can enjoy my supper.”
Giles Harvey, Deborah Eisenberg, Chronicler of American Insanity (NY Times, September 27, 2018)
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Oh, I love this even more, if that’s possible! Apart from hurtling myself off a cliff (that’s quite difficult to do in CH and I’m sadly not nearby any cliffs either in F) I can underline every word of this – and I would be nearly eternally grateful if you could send me the full article to my private Email IF you have a moment. If not, I shall happily chew on this brilliant quote for a while. Ta in any case!
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Sure!
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Enjoy taking the detour with her, and yes also the chocolate malted! I remembered to include Melody Beattie in my bibliography–her co-dependence work helps many lead clearer lives.
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Yes, she’s so good…
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