An ever increasing challenge in our rapidly changing world

I. Now is the Moment

Living in the moment or the present, has become a cliche and an over-hyped phrase, more the pity. Never-the-less, the person who has control of their own mind, their thinking and purpose; truly living by this principle… are free in a way few ever understand or attain in this life.

Dwelling on the past or over thinking about the future invariably involves negative memories, or a fear of the unknown. Both are detrimental and useless, needing to be ignored. Certainly, happy memories of the past can create temporary sentimentality; yet can turn sour if they are compared to a present that is not as pleasant. Likewise, while projecting positively about the future has limited value, it can soon turn to frustration or depression, if it does not come to fruition.  

Exhortations espousing living in the moment:

Carpe diem – ‘seize the day’

Live one day at a time

The power of the present

The art of life is to live in the present moment

Live fully in the moment, the past is over and the future is promised to no one

While the Bible is viewed by many as uncool and irrelevant, it actually has astute advice for those willing to hear. Regarding letting go of the past… 

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old” – Isaiah 43:18, ESV. 

… not attaching too much confidence in a future beyond our control… 

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” – Proverbs 27:1, ESV. 

… and making the most of today… 

 “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time…” – Ephesians 5:15-16, ESV. 

While it is only human to be concerned about the necessities of life, such as food, clothing and shelter; these are items which are promised to all who trust in the One who created us – He who desires to provide for those who follow Him. 

Matthew 6:25-33 

English Standard Version

“… I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air… your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?… Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ … But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” 

The Creator closes with the following remark in Matthew 6:34, TLB: “So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time.” 

Those who trust in the Eternal, possess a confidence of mind other people are not remotely aware and would be envious if they knew. 

Philippians 4:5-7

English Standard Version 

“… do not be anxious about anything, but in everything… with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind…” 

Remember: 

If you miss the present, it becomes the past. You will not get it back again. 

II. Simplify…

Simply, own fewer things and place less emphasis on worldly possessions. Why? Because the more items you have the more you are concerned about their upkeep and safety. The more expensive the physical possessions you own, the more money required in maintaining and securing them. Less responsibilities means less worry.

Another secret to happiness most people are completely oblivious to, is that the pursuit of material things only fuels disillusionment and discontent. While it makes no sense to the average person’s mind to decrease what they own, the scales tip towards contentment when a person learns how much they own affects their mental well being. The more possessions, less happy; less possessions, increased happiness. 

This is due to the fact that humans are supernal creatures in need of spiritual nourishment. Overflowing one’s life with physical goodies does not fill the gaping hole in a person’s soul. No matter how many houses, cars and possessions a person acquires, they will never satisfy their spiritual thirst. 

Simplify your life. Only keep that which you truly require; use regularly; or has important sentimental value. Otherwise, get rid of it. The same goes for people. Quality over quantity. Even if a person is very wealthy, one car instead of ten, for you can only drive one at a time; ten books instead of one hundred, if you are not going to read the other ninety; and get rid of the golf clubs if you never play golf.

Sage sayings regarding living simply:

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated

Simplifying your life is about simplifying yourself

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak

There’s a movement for simplifying your life: purchase less stuff, own a few things that are very high quality that last a long time, and that are multifunctional

As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness

In the past, people had less and lived frugally by necessity. The Spartans are a good example of a whole state in ancient Greece who lived by a minimalist ethos to great effect – refer Chapter XXIX Esau: The Thirteenth Tribe. Today, a good portion of the world – though still the minority – live by a creed of greed and are spoilt with an excess of materialism, poisonous to the spirit. Many people are suffocating under the weight of not just the pursuit of too many things, but also from how much time they spend on hobbies, pastimes, friends, socialising and work. All these can be a distraction from attaining inner peace, emotional stability and mental equilibrium. 

An important aspect of simple living, forgotten or ignored by the majority, is that of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Time is found for everything else, yet exercise is given little or no priority. Likewise, people eat an excess of the processed foods on offer. Simplifying your diet to nutritional foods leads to a healthy, fit and toned body when combined with exercise. Plus, the substantial benefit of this is a clearer, sharper mind, a better standard of health – and perhaps a longer life – to enjoy the things that really count; your loved ones. 

The Bible has a significant amount to say about living simply, modestly and focusing on what has enduring value. 

Ecclesiastes 5:10 

International Children’s Bible 

Solomon: “The person who loves money will never have all the money he wants. The person who loves wealth will not be satisfied when he gets it.” 

Luke 12:15 

Easy English Bible 

Christ: “Then he said to all the people, ‘Be very careful! Do not want more things than you really need. A person’s life is worth more than the things that he has, even if he is very rich’.” 

Matthew 6:19-21, 24 

English Standard Version 

Christ: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” 

1 Corinthians 7:30-31 

Easy English Bible 

Paul: “… People who buy things should live as if those things do not belong to them. If you enjoy the things of this world, do not live as if those things are important…” 

1 Timothy 6:6-10 

English Standard Version 

Paul: “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.”

Hebrews 13:5 

Easy English Bible 

“In the way that you live, do not want lots of money. Be happy with the things that you have. Be happy, because God has said this: ‘I will never leave you; I will always be there with you’.” 

Remember: 

Live simply, Simply live.

III. Be Selfish to be Selfless

It really is okay to be selfish with your time – which is precious – to ensure you are happy and content. Our lives are like a timer, counting down to the day of our departure from this life. Make every moment count for you. So many aspects of life – whether people or responsibilities – drain our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy. Take the time to recharge properly. If your own needs are not met, your power in giving to others is diminished. 

Some extroverted people flourish from other people’s energy and so perhaps need less time alone. Others who are introverted, are conversely drained from contact with other people, requiring time by themselves. 

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone” – Blaise Pascal (1623–1662). 

Jesus Christ was born in the late Summer, early Autumn and thus was born under the sign of Virgo – refer article: The Christ Chronology. Virgo’s are not generally people persons or overtly extrovert. That said, they are usually charming, polite, interested, considerate and humorous whether in public settings or personal interactions – Article: Thoth. This takes a toll on their energy levels. Christ had the unprecedented pressure of remaining perfect at every moment in his thoughts and actions towards other people. Because of this, he often had to be alone to rest. “But Jesus would often go away from the crowd to pray in quiet places” – Luke 5:16, EEB. 

Christ quickly became famous and had to deal with being a celebrity, after drawing attention to himself through his provocative ideas, wise words and his kindness extended towards others through healing those who were sick or afflicted with demons. 

Mark 1:27-28

Easy English Bible 

“All the people were very surprised and they said to each other, ‘This is very strange. This man Jesus is teaching us something new and he speaks with authority’ … Immediately, people began to hear the news about Jesus. Everywhere… people were talking about him.” 

Luke 4:42 

Easy English Bible 

“Early the next morning, Jesus went to a place where he could be alone. The people went to look for him. When they found him they said, ‘Do not leave us! Please stay here with us’.”

Christ’s closest companions inevitably were caught up in the circus that became his life. 

Mark 6:31-34 

Easy English Bible 

“Many people were coming to Jesus and then going away. Jesus and his disciples were too busy even to eat. So Jesus said to them, ‘Come with me to a place where there are no other people. We should be alone together. Then we can rest for a short time.’ 

So they left all the people behind. They went away in a boat together to a quiet place. But many people saw that they were leaving the town. Those people recognized them. So they ran out from all the towns around there. They went on land and reached the place before Jesus and the disciples. 

Jesus got out of the boat and he saw a large crowd. He felt sorry for them. He thought to himself, ‘These people are like sheep that have nobody to take care of them.’ So he began to teach them many things.”

Here we see Jesus and his disciples were being hounded and followed just like the media and paparazzi do to celebrities today. Yet in his act of being selfish to get away, Christ recognised the need of those who followed him was greater and selflessly decided to talk with them and later provided food for everyone, some five thousand people – Mark 6:35-44.

Sound sayings about being selfish to be selfless.

Be Self-Aware, Be Selfless, and Then be Selfish

Sometimes you have to be selfish to be selfless

Am I selfish to rejoice in my freedom as a priceless possession? Is freedom antecedent to selfishness or does it empower us to be selfless for others?

Sometimes being selfish is actually selfless, you need to take care of yourself in order to properly care for somebody else

Wisdom is often required in knowing when to be selfish and when to act selflessly. Time, experience and character all contribute in developing good judgement in discerning accordingly. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 5 

Easy English Bible 

“There is a right time for everything. Everything that we do on the earth has a proper time… [for example] there is a time to hug people. There is a time to turn away from people.”

Sometimes there are people in our life who are negative or toxic. They should be removed. If it is a family member, this may not be possible or desirable. In this case, limit interaction with them so that they do not unnecessarily drain the energy from your soul. Who we spend time with affects us either for good or bad. “Do not let anyone deceive you. Remember this: If you become a friend of bad people, you also will live in a bad way” – 1 Corinthians 15:33, EEB. Likewise: “If you have wise people as your friends, you will become wise yourself…” – Proverbs 13:20, EEB. 

That said, we should always demonstrate a spirit of kindness towards others when it is in our power to do so. The golden rule in treating others as we would like to be treated is eternal and one with a karmic reward. Christ advocated this way of thinking and it was central to his ministry. Luke 6:31, Easy English Bible: “Do the good things for other people that you would want them to do for you.” Matthew 22:39, Easy English Bible: “… You should love other people as much as you love yourself.”

Remember:

Being totally selfless will destroy you just as surely as being completely selfish will too. Strike a balance between the two.

IV. Be positive 

Being positive has a lot to do with living simply and in in the moment. For each of these are more effectively accomplished when one is thankful for the blessings they have. A continual grasping for more of anything erodes any benefit that could be achieved otherwise. It would not be over dramatic or an exaggeration to admit that the sin – for the want of a better word – of ingratitude is perhaps the most prevalent detrimental characteristic in the world today. It was the original transgression of one who had much to be thankful for and chose to be negative instead – refer article: Asherah. Our earliest ancestors chose the same path and now we suffer the repercussions of that decision.

Therefore, all the more reason to fight against the wall of negativism surrounding our civilisation and focus on the good, the right and the positive. Being thankful for our lives; our closest family and friends; and any opportunities which come our way – granted some people and nations are more blessed than others – is a good place to begin. Appreciating the simple things or those we take for granted; such as the small acts of consideration shown us by others or the beauty of nature and the diverse ways we can enjoy it.  

Positive platitudes:

Happiness is enjoying the little things in life

It takes the same energy to worry as it does to be positive. Use your energy to think positive, and positive things will happen

Being positive does not mean ignoring the negative. Being positive means overcoming the negative

Focus on an ocean of positives, not a puddle of negatives

Look for something positive each day, even if some days you have to look a little harder

Choose to be optimistic, it feels better

Train your mind to see the good in everything. Positivity is a choice. The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts

Positive emotional energy is the key to health, happiness and wellbeing. The more positive you are, the better your life will be in every area

The more you focus on the positive and the beauty around you, the more positive and peaceful your life will be

A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results

Maintaining a positive mindset means things work out for the best, particularly as humans have a built in survival mechanism. It is true, ‘fortune favours the brave.’ Still, it is natural to become dejected sometimes, especially if the negatives come in waves or are weighty. Even so, endeavouring to stay positive and thankful for the good things in our lives helps us bounce back from worries, difficulties and set backs. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ICB: “Always be happy… Give thanks whatever happens…” The Bible says a ‘happy heart is like good medicine’ – Proverbs 17:22. The Apostle Paul underwent many trials, yet also had the good fortune to live well at various times. Philippians 4:12, EEB: “I know what it is like to need things. I also know what it is like to have more than enough. I have learned this secret. I know how to be happy whatever happens. I can be happy when I have enough food to eat, and also when I am hungry. I can be happy when I have plenty of things, and also when I have nothing.” 

A true believer has a distinct advantage upon their reliance on the Eternal. Romans 8:28, EEB: “We know that God works to help those people who love him. He uses everything that happens to them to bring something good. He does this for those people that he has chosen to serve him.” 

If more people but realised, the Eternal desires to reach out to those who do not wish to take his hand. If they chose to humble themselves, they too could have these words said about them. 

Psalm 20:4, EEB: “May God give to you all the things that you really want. He will help you to do everything that you want to do.”

Remember:

Accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative; and don’t mess with the in-between.

This writer guarantees these four principles – even only on a surface physical level – will produce peace of mind and a lightness of spirit otherwise difficult to attain in this complicated and complex age in which we find ourselves. On a deeper spiritual level, these principles will assist in achieving genuine serenity in your life. A sensation of well-being which cannot be described or defined. It can only be experienced and then one knows what it means to be truly happy.  

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