Practicing ancient wisdom about the present...and the past

1716-Epictetus-morals-900
Remember that you ought to behave in life as you would at a banquet. As something is being passed around, it comes to you. When it comes to you, stretch out your hand gently, take a portion of it politely, but pass it on. Or, it has not come to you yet. Do not project your desire to meet it. So act always in life.
  – Epictetus
from Sri Easwaran -"This is the nature of desire: it jumps out from the present to the future. When you have a very pleasant event planned, the desire has jumped out already to meet it. Even though this particular event will take place on Saturday, and today is Monday, half of you is already living in Saturday.
And next Monday morning, you will be at your desk, remembering the great day you had Saturday.
Epictetus says, don’t ever let your desire jump out to the future, and don’t let your mind wander to the past, because you will never be present in the here and now.
If, for example, you are going to the theater to see Anthony and Cleopatra, it is only when you get into the theater that you let your attention dwell on it completely. Until then, you don’t think about it. And when you are watching the play, you are there completely, with no wisp of consciousness wandering to what your boss said to you yesterday about the project that is late, and no wandering to what you would like for breakfast tomorrow. You are there completely, sailing down the Nile with Cleopatra."
I find this is true for me. The funny thing is, I have been doing this projection into the future and into the past as it has to do with Baylor athletics. Our sports success has been in mind as I go through the day, anticipating the next game, the upcoming chance for victory, the victories of the recent past. Gosh, I have suffered for 40 years as a Baylor Bear fan. I am very pleased when my team is victorious, however, this zeal is tempered by the reality that sooner or later, they'll break your heart.
I also do this with that elusive time period that the investment firms call "retirement". I have determined not to listen to their swan song.
I am happy working along as I go in life as it is now, and sure, I would love to have $10 million to have as a nest egg, but "my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness". I want to trust my provision to the One Who Provides:Jehovah Jireh and also project a positive future for my family, financially. I groan(pray in the Spirit) that this is occurring and that as I whistle while I work, day by day, if he desires me to retire, he will put a way in front of me to get it done.
My prayer is that today I might be present, to today’s issues, needs and actions. ..and not dwell in the future, or the past.
I pray it is so with you as well.

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