Where we are today is a direct result of decisions we've made as far back as ten years or lifetimes ago, and as recently as last night.
We have a tremendous personal responsibility for the way our life has turned out, and an equally important role of steering it into the future. Although we constantly make decisions, we're not always mindful of their far-reaching consequences.
The first step is to have a very clear idea of the kind of life you want to live (perhaps a simple life, uncomplicated, comfortable, calm and happy). Then, before making any decision, ask yourself, "Will this get me closer to the kind of life I want to live, or farther from it?" The key, again, is to think of the far-reaching consequences of your decisions, not just instant gratification.
Here's the catch: The path of LEAST resistance will often take you farther from your destination than the seemingly more difficult one, but an easy trek in the wrong direction is ultimately far more exhausting and devastating than an uphill climb toward euphoria.
Every decision you make is important. If you smoke now, for example, you might not be able to donate a lung to your own child in the future. And if you have more money than you need while someone else doesn't have enough to buy food, you're not changing the state of the world, you're contributing to it.
Instead of looking to blame others for your dilemmas, look within. Any circumstance (no matter how devastating it may seem), is not only caused by a past event, but is actually a blessing if we gain wisdom from it. History doesn't have to repeat itself if we can learn from our mistakes the first time around.
Treat every living being with kindness, including yourself, and the world will immediately be a better place.
We have a tremendous personal responsibility for the way our life has turned out, and an equally important role of steering it into the future. Although we constantly make decisions, we're not always mindful of their far-reaching consequences.
The first step is to have a very clear idea of the kind of life you want to live (perhaps a simple life, uncomplicated, comfortable, calm and happy). Then, before making any decision, ask yourself, "Will this get me closer to the kind of life I want to live, or farther from it?" The key, again, is to think of the far-reaching consequences of your decisions, not just instant gratification.
Here's the catch: The path of LEAST resistance will often take you farther from your destination than the seemingly more difficult one, but an easy trek in the wrong direction is ultimately far more exhausting and devastating than an uphill climb toward euphoria.
Every decision you make is important. If you smoke now, for example, you might not be able to donate a lung to your own child in the future. And if you have more money than you need while someone else doesn't have enough to buy food, you're not changing the state of the world, you're contributing to it.
Instead of looking to blame others for your dilemmas, look within. Any circumstance (no matter how devastating it may seem), is not only caused by a past event, but is actually a blessing if we gain wisdom from it. History doesn't have to repeat itself if we can learn from our mistakes the first time around.
Treat every living being with kindness, including yourself, and the world will immediately be a better place.