I'm still working on that myself. :P
All I can do is tell you what I've been told, and what
has helped me so far. Staying in the present doesn't
mean never-ever thinking about the past or the future.
Designate specific times, when appropriate, to plan
future courses of actions and specific times, when
appropriate, to reflect upon your past actions.
If you try to banish all thought of the past or future
out of your consciousness, you're just going to drive
yourself crazy. If you tell yourself "I will think
about this problem, just not now," and put those
worries aside, they won't be in the drivers' seat of
your life. That's what's important.
It's like how some people organize their time by
putting aside an hour or two to pay their bills.
Pull that off, and you'd be surprised how many of your
daily worries actually turn out to be inconsequential
once the clouds of passion/anger/anxiety/etc. have
cleared.
SPROCKET
> Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 14:03:36 -0000
> From: "mackkup" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: Digest Number 1152
>
> Focus on the present. i hear this time and time
> again but it often
> eludes me. i catch myself pondering the future or
> regreting the past
> and what you have posted is true. but for me its
> easier said then
> done. i will continue to strive for staying in the
> present for life
> is much easier. Mack
> --- In [email protected], woof puppy
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> wrote:
> > Focus on the present. Tearing at yourself for how
> you
> > SHOULD have behaved is pointless. Even if you
> come up
> > with the perfect way of handling the situation,
> > tomorrow is another day, and the exact
> circumstances
> > you encountered are not likely to repeat
> themselves.
> > (Even if Lizard Guy gives you the cold shoulder
> again,
> > it won't be second-for-second the same scene, and
> in
> > dealing with people, timing is everything).
> That's
> > why if you walk into a room expecting your plan to
> > read like a script, you're going to walk away
> > disappointed, and at a disadvantage to those who
> were
> > winging it.
> >
> > The only thing to do in a situation like you
> describe
> > is to feel it out. If your thoughts got muddied
> at
> > the time, and you're no good at feeling it out, no
> > ammount of dissecting it in hindsight is going to
> help
> > you. The only thing you can do is to get better
> at
> > "feeling it out." The best way to practice that
> is to
> > stay in the moment, as best you can, for as long
> as
> > you can.
> >
> > Lingering on past failures or shortcomings is not
> > going to help you.
> >
> >
> > SPROCKET
> >
> >
> > > > As I drove away from the store, I felt pretty
> > > pissed off.
> > > >
> > > > My questions are: A) Should I have just left
> the
> > > >store after it was apparent the employee had an
>
> > > >attitude? B) Should I have continued talking to
>
> > > >him after he was not responding? C) Should I
> have
> > > >just visualized some peaceful Zen saying and
> stood
> > > >there pleasantly asking over and over again for
> > some
> > > > help? D) Should I have complained to the
> manager
> > > >(on Monday)? E) Should I have assumed the Lotus
>
> > > >position in the middle of the aisle and begun
> > > > chanting sutras (or singing Kumbaya)?
> > > >
> > > > What do you do? What would you do?
> > > >
> > > > No flames please.
> > > >
> > > > Thank you.
> > > >
> > > > Al
> >
> >
> > __________________________________________________
> > Do You Yahoo!?
> > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam
> protection around
> > http://mail.yahoo.com
>
>
>
>
>
________________________________________________________________________
>
________________________________________________________________________
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 10:32:07 -0700
> From: Neutral Milk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: Digest Number 1152
>
> You need the Dharma as your guiding principle. Just
> winging it is not
> recommended. Gut feel, common sense, 'feel it out'
> and other nuggets
> of wisdom from the folklore are to be avoided at all
> costs.
>
> Why do I say that? Because the Buddha had warned us
> that common sense
> people are heading in a ruinous direction. They take
> what's
> detrimental and treat it as if it's something
> beneficial. They take
> what's beneficial, and treat it as if it is
> something detrimental.
>
> Sources? You need sources to corroborate this? Here
> is one:
>
> "So long as an evil deed has not ripened, the fool
> thinks it as sweet
> as honey. But when the evil deed ripens, the fool
> comes to grief. "
> Dhammapada v.69
>
> On 7/13/05, woof puppy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> wrote:
> > Focus on the present. Tearing at yourself for how
> you
> > SHOULD have behaved is pointless. Even if you
> come up
> > with the perfect way of handling the situation,
> > tomorrow is another day, and the exact
> circumstances
> > you encountered are not likely to repeat
> themselves.
> > (Even if Lizard Guy gives you the cold shoulder
> again,
> > it won't be second-for-second the same scene, and
> in
> > dealing with people, timing is everything).
> That's
> > why if you walk into a room expecting your plan to
> > read like a script, you're going to walk away
> > disappointed, and at a disadvantage to those who
> were
> > winging it.
> >
> > The only thing to do in a situation like you
> describe
> > is to feel it out. If your thoughts got muddied
> at
> > the time, and you're no good at feeling it out, no
> > ammount of dissecting it in hindsight is going to
> help
> > you. The only thing you can do is to get better
> at
> > "feeling it out." The best way to practice that
> is to
> > stay in the moment, as best you can, for as long
> as
> > you can.
> >
> > Lingering on past failures or shortcomings is not
> > going to help you.
> >
> >
>
=== message truncated ===
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