Rushing to Nowhere

The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.

Alan Watts

I love the simple truth of this quote. I spent many years falling into the trap of thinking I needed to achieve something beyond myself in order to find fulfillment (or success, enlightenment, peace, etc.), only to eventually realize the search itself was the very thing causing my dissatisfaction.

It doesn't matter what you're searching for “out there,” whether it be spiritual attainment, true love, or a billion dollars. Anytime fulfillment is placed in the future, it is missed. Why?

Because the future never arrives!

Even the future—when it happens—it happens NOW. In this sense, there is no such thing as the future.

Success or failure, it happens NOW.

Highs or lows, NOW.

Smooth sailing or bumpy road, NOW.

No matter what comes and goes, it happens in the NOW.

The trick is, if you look closely, you will see that there is something NOW that never moves.

That something is called YOU. The real deep down essential you that is the very life force itself. Not the personality. Not the roles you play. Not even your dreams and aspirations. Just the pure essence of what you are. And that you is always NOW. Which is the same thing as saying: NOW is literally what you are.

So I ask you: why would NOW (aka you) need to rush around to achieve something beyond itself when it knows there *is* nothing beyond itself?

Do you see?
KB