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DRIVING LESSONS (PART IV)—PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
I am driving to office. I am a careful driver. May be I have
imbibed many of the happiness lessons some of which help me in not getting
unnecessarily agitated. I am subconsciously thinking to Be Happy!
I am very observant of the traffic around me. I am paying attention to the
traffic going in the direction I am going and coming from the opposite
direction. On cross roads I am especially careful of the traffic moving in all
the directions. But what happens when I pass the cross road?
I nearly completely forget the traffic which I had just passed and had paid so
much of my undivided attention! It has become of no concern to me! But moments
before it was of vital importance to me. My life depended on it. I am not
worrying where all those cars and drivers have gone. Whether they were red or
blue or green cars, whether the drivers were good or bad. All this does not
affect me now at all.
Similarly, I am not concerned what is happening far away and out of my field of
vision. What cars will be crossing me at the next cross road is not my concern
at present. What is happening far away is not my worry now. If I worry about it
just now, I may cause an accident.
What I am completely and totally concerned about is the car in front of me; the
car coming from opposite direction; the car coming from my left and right. Then
I am concerned about the immediate traffic around me. I occasionally glance at
the rear view mirror; see the side mirrors and glance behind while changing
lanes or taking a turn.
Dwelling upon past is futile. Howsoever you worry about past it is not going to
change. Whatever has happened has happened. If I drive past something, it is
past. Of little concern to me. Nature heals old wounds. It is only we who
sometimes open them. Past is like a useless file deleted from the hard drive. It
is foolish to search and restore it from the recycle bin. Similarly, worrying
about future is useless. What you dread may never happen. Do your best and hope
for the best. Live in the present, because:
“Life is now in session. Are you present?”—B. Copeland
Imagine a drive to a beautiful place. Our destination is a dream-like place.
Beautiful brooks, rivers, forests, country side, hills, cities, morn, day,
night, sun, rain, snow, pass by. We remain oblivious of them. We are going to
enjoy them when we reach our destination! It is only the one who enjoys the
journey who really travels.
Similarly, we go through life planning to be happy on some future day! I will be
happy after I finish my education, after I get a job, after I get married, after
I buy a computer, a car, a house, after my children have finished their
education, after they have got married. I will be happy after I retire. That day
will come and go but I will never be happy. If I cannot be happy now, how can I
be so on some future day! Happiness does not come automatically after some day;
it does not depend on worldly possessions. If you cannot be happy in the process
of achieving some goal you cannot be happy after obtaining that goal. If you
cannot enjoy the journey you cannot enjoy the destination. To be happy you must
live in the present.
“Yesterday is ashes; tomorrow wood. Only today does the fire burn brightly.”—Old
Eskimo saying
Read more articles on Happiness:
DRIVING LESSONS (I & II) |
IT WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN |
THE GIFT OF SANTA |
BE HAPPY!
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