Are you having a life or pursuing a lifestyle?

Chasing Your Tail?

Today, more than ever before, most people spend their time trying to live a certain kind of lifestyle and in the process don't really have a life.

This way of living depletes the present and causes us to live in a future that has not yet happened.

So what fuels this over-spending, over-consuming and constant over-expending??

Well one of the basic underlying beliefs is that a lifestyle equals happiness. 

A clue into this basic premise is the phrase, "If I, then I...or when this, than that."

These two phrases are often good indications of living somewhere in the future. 

Another aspect of this is an underlying belief that what is, is not good enough.

The insult to injury here is that as a result of this kind of future living, once a goal is achieved it is quickly forgotten and dumped in a past box and immediately replaced by a new future goal.

Now please remember, having goals is not the problem.  It is an attachment to the outcome of the goal and what we THINK the achievement of the goal will bring into our lives.

Living in the present is often cited in almost cliche-like fashion. 

However let me just say, living in the present does not mean abandoning planning for the future.  It just means that your relationship to your life is to live it now and not postpone living by pursuing a life style.

Very best,
Dr. E