Here and Now

Dear Readers,

I recently started watching YouTube videos of a guy named Alan Watts. He was a modern day philosopher who passed away sometime in the early 70’s. Among the few that I have watched that are truly inspirational, one stands out. He talks about the here and now, the present, living in the moment.

Alan Watts once said “The real secret of life is to be completely engaged with what you are doing here and now.” I have already mentioned in my previous posts that I am a sort of hypochondriac and afraid of dying in surgery. After watching this video however, it made me realize that death is nothing really to be scared of. No I don’t want to die, no one does, but the thought of it suddenly does not scare me as it once did.

Since watching this video, which I will post a link to at the end of this blog, I have tried to live in the moment and to not think about the past or future. At least not to the point will it starts to scare me. And when the idea of something like death starts to creep up and scare me again, I think about exactly what Alan Watts once said.

“A lot of people are afraid that when they die they are going to be locked in a dark room forever, but one of the most interesting things in the world is to try to imagine what it would be like to go to sleep and never wake up. It is one of the great wonders of life. If you think long enough about that, something will happen. It will pose the next question to you; what was it like to wake up after never having gone to sleep? That was when you were born. So after you are dead, the only thing that can happen is the same sort of experience as when you were born.”

This whole thought seems a little weird at first but after having thought about it for a while, it starts to make sense. I’m not scared anymore. I still think of the future. I can’t wait to see my new son, to watch him grow up, to have new experiences with my wife and to see the world. But I no longer let the thought of the future consume me. It creates stress. I take everything one day at a time.

I know this is a rather heavy topic but, as mentioned, writing it all down is more for my benefit than anyone else. However, I guess some part of me wants to be able to share my thoughts. Things that bring me comfort may bring comfort to other people too right?

Buddha once said “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” I am not a Buddhist, but I think that quote is a truly great one to live by. After all, you only live once, get it right.