I once knew a guy who believed that he would “make it” one day. Okay, confession time: that guy was apparently “i.” I hoped that if I worked hard enough, pushed hard enough, and strived hard enough that I would finally arrive; I would be “there.” It was, as the previous sentence indicates, a hard way to live. Any success that I did achieve was very brittle; thus, easily broken. Why? Because it was dependent on the reflection of circumstances and, of course, the fact that there was always an abundance of more goals that had not, yet, been achieved. I was an onward-marching soldier, in a war I could never win.
Perhaps, I reasoned (with insufficient awareness), I would finally arrive “there” if I could just accomplish this, that, or the other thing, I might reach that blissful point at which I might feel confident, secure, and loved. Yes, that was it–over there, and after that, I might give myself permission to rest. Until then, it was work and more work; a daily grind that taxed my waning energy and blinded me to the inherent beauty of the unencumbered now.
In hindsight, I realize that no one ever “arrives,” at least in the way that we usually conceive. ” Such implies an external place that is static, in an ever-changing Universe. It’s also like trying to claim the beer to which the sign “Free Beer Tomorrow” advertises. That beer and that day DO NOT EXIST; therefore, getting “there” is impossible. We must–first–be it “here.” To get the security and sense of accomplishment that I deeply desired, I had to stop and realize that HERE, where I Am NOW, is the only non-place that I will ever discover the peace for which I yearned.
***
Do you know anyone that might be going through a similar situation, a person who yearns to experience the best that LIFE has to offer? If so, perhaps that person would be willing to sit down and listen, while you assure him or her that he/she is deeply loved; and that NOW–free of the mind’s machinations–all is fine, just…as…it…is. The peace that we’ve been seeking lies waiting within.
Dare to dream (and care for one another).
With heartfelt regards,
Art
Copyright © – 2022 – R. Arthur Russell
P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020), press here. My YouTube videos may be found through this link. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. 🙏🧡
Think2wice 
This was exactly what I needed to read thismorning. THANK YOU Art. Please continue to share with the world so that we may always have reminders to be present in the moment.
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I’m so glad that the article resonated with you! Thank you for taking the time to comment! 🙏
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Very good! Don’t worry, my friend, we’ve all been through that. Such is the illusion of the mind, to always create a distance and run after something. What has changed? Nothing. Mind has settled down. Mind creates a heaven and a hell
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Thank you, Moniica. Yes, I think that this is the usual (at least in part) of the apparent “human” journey. I agree–mind creates both, and everything in betweeen! 🙏
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Free beer tomorrow – ha, ha, ha! To be delighted in life as it is today is a hard task – but the one that should be at the top of the to-do list! Thanks, Art!
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Hi Wynne. It was through Eckhart Tolle that I first heart the “free beer tomorrow” message, and it resonated so strongly with me, for a couple of reasons. Tomorrow never comes is true, and when we deeply investigate the one who is seeking satisfaction in the future, we find that he/she, too, is illusory. Our conditioning to believe in the little “i” of name and form is SO strong. Thanks for commenting! 🙂
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