“Today is such a beautiful today.”
How many times did I hear it.
“Wow, how nice a day it is!”
Everywhere I went.
“Today is quite possibly the best day of the year.”
“It is so beautiful today. Don’t you think.”
Yes, perhaps the weather is nice.
But no, the day has started poorly.
I’ve chosen to attend a party I care not to be at.
I’m drinking again despite coming to the realization that it currently offers little to no value to me.
Today I have betrayed my own sense of purpose. I’ve squandered hours of time. I’ve had little joy in the company of strangers who don’t give the slightest shit about my life or goals.
There is work to be done.
Yet here I stand, asking myself over and over why it is that I am in this very room.
As the glorious rays of sunlight came streaming down, during the most spectacular of nature’s random conditions, a most horrifying shriek rang out in the distance.
The sound of death itself. The pain and agony of a lifetime crammed into just a few fleeting moments.
Nearby, a large and aggressive dog had attacked a small, completely outmatched beagle.
Again and again the shrieks rang out.
Intervention came. The beagle lay there helpless, bleeding from the neck, feigning death, the only escape from a true death.
Anger. Misery. Shouting.
Confusion. Recklessness. Terror.
Ruthless and cold. Weak and unprepared.
The nature of things.
Today was a beautiful day.
Permalink
Ah yes, the everlasting internal struggle for self-compliance – I find myself there much these days
Permalink
Time is everything. If you realize how much you waste per day, you begin to see what you can become.
Permalink
Loved this comment. For the record, I have never met someone living in the first world who made the comment “I don’t have time” who truly didn’t have the time. It’s really how you manage it
Permalink
People throw that phrase around constantly. Guitar, for example. “I don’t have time to practice.” If you woke up at 5 am every day, and practiced for 3 hours until 8 am, you would get a lot better. Half the world would still be asleep.
There are 24 hours in a day. There is no excuse, and when I catch myself squandering time I begin some serious self reflection.
Permalink
Too funny you mention that. I’m on day 18 of Vic Pride’s 30 Days of Discipline and it makes you wake up at 5AM. I work out for an hour, play guitar for an hour, then get ready for work.
Permalink
Riz, I’ve gone to so many parties only to leave 30 minutes later.
I will go say hi to all my friends, but soon after, I need to leave. I can’t stay in there. It freaks me out.
Permalink
The dog attack we witnessed was an immediate reminder that life is brutal and cutthroat. Only the strong and prepared will thrive.
A lot of this goes back to hanging out with negative people. Some people are so damn content with mediocrity it makes me ill just being in their presence. I could be building greatness, but I’m wasting time with slugs.
Also, my psychedelic experiences have really changed my perspective on our culture. More people are concerned with discussing Seinfeld re-runs than the mysteries of life – I become painfully bored quite easily.
Permalink
Dating Lucy man… A very dangerous thing indeed. You have to be ready for it.
After this, you either face life or you fall under a cycle of depression. All or nothing.
Permalink
Hey Riz,
Awesome post here. Short, but the message is very deep.
It’s all about perspective, and I’ve been slowly working on simplfying my life so I can have more time because I used that excuse of “I don’t have enough time.”
I know I have enough time, and so does everyone else; but there are too many things I’ve been committing too that steal away my energy, time and focus.
Cheers,
Dragos
Permalink
Hey Dragos, I really appreciate your comment.
I literally want to punch myself in the face every time I say “I don’t have time, sorry.” It’s an excuse that should rarely ever be used.
We make time for the things we hold important. End of story.
Permalink
Thanks for replying :).
If we look a bit deeper into the subject it’s a coping mechanism. No one wants to be blamed for not being able to be productive, or have enough time for what they want; so they blame it to an external cause.
I’d say we “Should” make time for the things we hold important. We want to, but sometimes people just don’t know how to say a no, or cut the negative things out of their lives. This is why I’m working on writing my book on how to remove these things from life.
I have a few “Edit Yourself” series blog posts about how to remove certain things from your environment.