The best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment.
— Thich Nhat Hahn
All “Illustrated Wisdoms” in this 2023 Paths to Joy collection were created by splattering Dylusions shimmer spray on 11×14, 98 pound, Canson mixed media paper, then spritzing with water to see how the colors would run and gather.
When dry, the above quote was evoked with 10 circles contain clock hands. The gaps remind that, amidst situations that seem to confine life [as time can do], pauses can open larger possibilities.
Art is available with and without the quote. Shop Sandra’s Galleries.
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh.”
― A.A. Milne
Have you heard, “A pause for the cause?” What if the cause for pausing is joy?
Of this tenth ‘Path to Joy’, an old book called The Treasury Chest recommended, ”Live in a daylight compartment. This means living one day at a time. … Make the most of today for it is all you have.”
This approach can be what the Berkeley Well-Being Institute calls, “Living in the moment” rather than recalling the past or projecting into the future.
Odyssey Online reports the main benefit of avoiding ‘’could have’ regrets means less stress and sorrow. By taking breaks from ‘’should be’ imaginings, happiness increases because moments can be enjoyed for what they are. Disappointment is reduced because, “When you don’t have expectations … everything that happens will be a pleasant surprise.”
For some, this mindset is natural and easy. For others, the Berkeley Well-Being Institute offers fourteen tools, including:
- Practicing Gratitude, which encourages appreciation of immediate surroundings like, “the smell of fresh-cut grass, the feel of the wind on our cheeks, or the sight of a flower growing.”
- Keep a “Living in the Moment” journal [which could be done with a Smartphone] where special things are mentally ‘photographed,’ like the shade of red at sunset or birds taking flight.
- Read more.
Remember,
You create a good future by creating a good present.
Succeed and Soar!
Sandra Gould Ford
Presenting arts experiences to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire.
A precious reminder about food as a way of caring for and about ourselves.
Length: 47 seconds
