"All paths are the same; they lead nowhere. . .
In my own life I could say I have traversed long,
long paths, but I am not anywhere. My benefactor's
question has meaning now. Doe this path have a heart?
If it does, the path is good; if it doesn't, it is of no use.
Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart,
the other doesn't.
One makes for a joyful journey;
as long as you follow it,
you are one with it.
The other will make you curse your life.
One makes you strong; the other weakens you."
-- from the teachings of Don Juan,
by Carlos Castaneda
Today was a unique day. I was home and going through some things and came across some old diaries and writings of mine. I skimmed because there were reams of typewritten paper. It sounded as if I was wading through a swamp of depressed thoughts and frustrating experiences. But, my overall outlook was positive--on paper, anyway.
The truth is that as I looked back at that time in the 80's, I saw a lot of learning and struggling to find a better way. My first thought was to burn the whole thing. Then I had another thought. Though there are some circumstances that are similar now as to then, there is a dramatic difference in how I feel about things.
When I read about how I felt in the early, mid and late 1980s, I noticed what is different now than then. In reality, the only real difference is that I consciously choose how I want to feel now. I choose joy more often. Back then, I was blaming circumstances, other people and events. I was working hard, and trying hard and things just didn't seem to change a whole lot. I was choosing how I felt then too, and it was more often unhappy and frustrated. I was directed by external things and events and now that is the opposite.
It was kind of hard to look at that stuff, even when skimming, but it enlightened me to the difference in my life now and how happy I am in comparison. It has absolutely nothing to do with anything more or less that I have now or then, and it is simply and only based on choosing how I feel based on my choice and not anything external.
The other thing that stands out now versus then is that now I focus on the present as much as possible and then I focused on the past and the future.
To me that is a massive success!
The Past Matters Little. It Just Was. What Really Matters Is My Choices Right NOW.
Spread Some Joy Today--Isn't is so empowering to know that we all have the same exact power to choose how we want to feel?
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