“Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.” ~Thomas Carlyle~
In broad daylight and in front of cameras, the celebrity or “benevolent” politician (using taxpayers’ money, of course) tells the world that they are on the side of justice, equality and eliminating poverty. Everyone claps politely and mindlessly as the ribbon for the new orphanage in India or AIDS clinic in Africa or job training program is cut. Then, in a termite’s blink, another successful photo opp becomes history and the celeb becomes an indelible, instant hero.
Every one of us wants to shine and get our just dues. Even the preacher or mullah on the pulpit gets a real high by being thought of as being inspirational or even powerful to his or her congregation.
These heady moments of greatness are often intertwined, however, with huge chunks of time when we are not being noticed, appreciated or treated fairly on our terms.
As American patriot Thomas Paine once stated: “These are the times that try men’s souls … He that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
When we feel down, unloved, and unappreciative, the usual root of this despondency rests in how we are thinking at that moment.
Inevitably, if you are thinking about the past, then you are not empowered.
And if you are daydreaming or fretting about the future, you also are not in an empowered mode.
The only place to be is in the present moment. That is where we touch people and things…and that is where we can make a real difference.
Whenever we dwell in the cloudy here and now, our tomorrows become brighter.
The next time you feel down or out of sorts, try to create your own ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Get interested in your world, your children, your boss, your company or anything else within reach of your senses.
Touch them or it in a manner which shows you care. Leave your mark in this world, and your hereafters will take care of themselves.
Start now, by shutting down your PC and talking with a smile to your child, your wife or a neighbor in your rear-view mirror. Or simply and wondrously water the flowers in your garden and sing “You are my sunshine.”
