What Stops You From Living Immediately?
I've been reading a bunch of Seneca lately. As in the Roman statesman, born in 4 AD and philosopher, Seneca. Why?
Well, it's a long story, but I have to say he's fascinating.
Yesterday I came across this nugget which stopped me in my tracks..
Read it slowly:
"Putting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future.
The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today. You are arranging what lies in Fortune’s control, and abandoning what lies in yours.
What are you looking at? To what goal are you straining?
The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately."
Whoa.
Do you ever consider the way expectancy robs today of its power?
Based on other things he's written, I don't believe Seneca is saying don't dream, have goals, or a plan for the future. No, what he's saying is don't wait to embrace everything today offers.
Life isn't meant for waiting on the sidelines, expecting your dream to come true. It's meant for living now.
Don't wait for permission. Don't look for a sign. Don't do it "when you're ready." Don't put off a move for when you're less busy. Don't over-analyze or over-think. Don't look for reasons not to...
Move. Go. Live.