Monday, January 24, 2022
One of the challenges of life is to pay attention to what actually matters to you. Take a moment to think about what matters. It might take a minute or two because our lives are so filled with trivial things that we are buried in deadlines and the business of day-in and day-out living.
To reflect on what matters, you might have to look more subtlety at what you’re actually engaged in today. Did the universe create this day, solely so you can get things checked off of your checklist? Does today exist just so you can do your job, finish a project, or to see another news article on TV? Think about how much your life is filled with things that really don’t amount to much, yet we often behave as if it’s more urgent and more important than life itself.
Whatever it is that you have to do today, will it matter if you only had a few days to live, or a few minutes? If you did only have a little time left on earth, where would you focus your attention? That’s how you know what matters. It would be what you pay attention to if faced with your own death. Most likely, you’d pay attention to people, particularly those who love you. You’d connect with people, you’d make them feel loved, and you’d do better to sense their love in return. Not much of what you’re worried about today matters. What matters is strengthening relationships, making meaningful experiences in the presence of others, and in making life meaningful for yourself. Make a list of what matters, today. The rest is just rubbish, so you can let go of all of the drama.