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Plan as if you will live forever, and live each day as if it were your last.
Seems contradictory to me. I can't imagine how you can do both.
There is nothing more important than your relationship with God.
This contradicts the point before it. I'd say that your relationships with others are more important than your relationship with God.
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Before a person may benefit from true knowledge, three things are required. The person must acquire the knowledge, the person must understand the knowledge, and the person must believe in the knowledge. Once that is accomplished, the person may use that knowledge as a tool to benefit him or herself. One of my responsibilities in daily life is to help people reach understanding. After that, it becomes a choice of belief for the individual. Let me address your first question.
Plan as if you will live forever...
Planning is a precursor to wise action as it takes into account how one's actions affect the world around us. While a child may act for immediate gain, an adult anticipates the future and modifies his or her behavior accordingly. Instead of asking "What do I want?" the adult asks, "How will this affect me and those around me for the foreseeable future?" How far ahead should a person look? As far ahead as he or she is capable. Before you act, plan as though the consequences of your actions will continue to ripple throughout reality for the rest of time.
...live each day as if it were your last.
Life is full of a myriad of desires and distractions, and time is limited. It is impossible to do everything you want, to acquire everything you want, to experience everything you want. That being so, it is best to focus on what is most important in our lives. Understanding that there is no guarantee that you will see tomorrow helps to focus one's mind on what is most important. People who are aware of how close death is force themselves to brush away the distractions and focus their time and energy on what truly matters to them. That focus also spurs them into action while there is still a chance to act, thus avoiding the regret of missed opportunity. By living each day as though you are almost out of time, you can be sure that you have your priorities straight.
Regarding your second question, it is the same as the person below you.
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You detailed what you mean, but that didn't resolve the conflict. A person who is about to die might focus on what's important to them, but what's important to them at that point will all be things of the past. You can't create new opportunities in your last days. You can't create new friendships or get into new areas of interest. These are all things which require time. You will focus your priorities on the things you already have, and devote the time to that. You will act for immediate gain, because there is no other gain.
On the other hand, if you plan as if you will live forever, short term opportunities won't matter to you, because you will know that new ones will come.
(In general, I'd say that the regret of missed opportunity is a folly.)
Regarding the second question, what's your answer to the person below me?
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Do not confuse focus with foresight. They are not the same.
A person's actions may be limited to the present, but the effects of those actions stretch into the future. A man on his deathbed is still thinking of the future, worrying about how the people in his life will be affected by his death, trying to take whatever action he can to prepare them for when he is gone. Such a man is doing exactly what we have been talking about. He is focused on what is most important to him (because he is out of time), but his actions are in preparation for the future (as though their impact will never end).
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The point is that focus. What is most important to a man on his deathbed is his past and present. As you say, the people in his life -- at that point and in the past. He is thinking of their future, but not his future. He is thinking how the things he has at present will be used in the future by those who he knows at present. That's the extent of the future he has. He cannot and will not build anything new. A single man dying will not consider going on dates to find a partner. A dying man will not take up a new job with long term prospects, or start building his dream home. A dying man has no dreams and no wishes beyond things that relate to his past and present.
in that respect, a dying man is already dead. Living each day as if it was your last means you have no dreams and will never move forward.
Also, regarding:
Instead of asking "What do I want?" the adult asks, "How will this affect me and those around me for the foreseeable future?"
No, an adult person will ask "what do I want, and how will this affect me and those around me for the foreseeable future?" If a person doesn't ask that, then indeed there is no conflict, because the person wants nothing, has no dreams, and is indeed effectively dying.
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It seems to me I am not communicating clearly. I hope this attempt will be easier to understand.
The mindset you describe above is not living for the day while planning for forever. Rather, it is living in a panic while planning for the moment. Granted, that is the frame of mind for a person who is terrified of death and is given no time to prepare for it, but not everyone is like that. More to the point, the goal is to attain focus, not freak out. When I use the word "focus," I mean "a state or condition permitting clear perception or understanding."
Perhaps it will help if I use concrete examples.
I'll start with the "one day to live" concept. I don't know about you, but I have been in a situation where I was absolutely certain I was about to die. Twice, in fact. As I do not fear death, I did not panic. I was, however, forced to acknowledge all that I had left "undone." Remember how I said there is not enough time to do everything? That point is made powerfully clear when you have no time remaining. You think of all of the things you wanted to do but never had time to try. You think of the people important to you, the last time you met, the last words you spoke to them. You think of the goals you had, and how they will go unfulfilled. You realize that you have been distracted, directing your time and effort to things of no consequence while the truly important things in your life have been neglected. You may even realize that you have been on the wrong path all along, but now it is too late to change your path. Death brings your life into focus.
Then, suddenly, you are given a reprieve. One more day to live, one more chance to do things differently. Do you go back to living a life of meaningless distraction? Or do you try to remember, try to maintain the focus you so recently had? It is better to maintain that focus, to live each day as though it were your last. If you can do that, you will have less to regret when it really is your last day.
Living your last day well requires planning, however. That is where it helps to "plan for forever." Specifically, it means making choices based on the idea that their consequences will continue to ripple throughout the universe until the end of time and you will have to deal with the ramifications. Instead of thinking, "Once I'm done with this, it's over and I never have to think about it again," consider the fact that any choice you make will leave a permanent mark on reality, affecting it in both material and spiritual ways. A life choice is not a "fire and forget" missile, nor should it be treated like one. Some people fail in this. They seek immediate gain while ignoring long-term consequences in the hope that they will be dead before those consequences reach them. That is foolish and short-sighted.
People in modern society spend considerable time and effort worrying about whether or not they are prepared for retirement, but where is that concern when it comes to preparing for their lives? Their children's lives? Their children's children's lives? It is like the man who is dying of cancer and so he turns down a marriage proposal from his lifelong sweetheart because he is "dying soon." Ten years later, he is still dying of cancer and has missed out on the loving relationship, complete with kids and an extended family, he could have been enjoying all this time. Or like the man who reaches retirement from his low-skill job and says, "I am too old to learn something new, so I'll just stay at home and watch TV." Six years later, he is still watching TV. Meanwhile, people who are older than he have gone to university, gotten a degree, and started a new career, all in those same six years. When we are young and think we have all the time and opportunity in the world, we do not accept the limitations people try to impose on us. Why should it be different when we are older? The world is still the world, and opportunities continue to knock on our door. We may have more wrinkles, but we also have more experience and skill. The only thing holding us back is ourselves.
There is no telling how long we will stay in this world, but even when we are gone, those we leave behind will linger. If you are wise, you will not stop living while you are still alive. You will take steps to ensure the future, even if you will not be a part of it, by planning as though you will live forever. If you can do that, you will not be caught off-guard when you find yourself still around, years later.
These two points of view balance each other out. Each one tempers the other, making it easier to avoid the mistake of going to extremes. Moderation is the key.
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I understand that it's mainly a semantic problem. The phrase 'live each day as if it were your last' has too many meanings, and the particular one you use is less obvious than the others.
I disagree with your examples, and your viewpoint. Is the man with cancer justified in taking a wife and then (most likely) leaving a wife and kid without a husband or father? Wouldn't that be just thinking of himself? And the old man who watches TV, if he enjoys his life and doesn't hurt a soul, why be judgmental towards him?
As for 'people thinking about retirement', of course they do, because for many their jobs aren't what they want to do for eternity. The problem is that you make it seem as if that's all people think about, as if they don't care about their children, children's children, etc. I'm not sure where this point of view comes from. It doesn't apply to people I know. They certainly do think occasionally about retirement (I'm looking forward to it, as my father had), but it's really a minor part of their existence.
I think though that I understand your relationship with God. People who have at one point found it hard to see the good in the world, or lacked the strength to face their troubles, need something to latch onto, and thinking of God helps.
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I disagree with your examples, and your viewpoint. Is the man with cancer justified in taking a wife and then (most likely) leaving a wife and kid without a husband or father? Wouldn't that be just thinking of himself? And the old man who watches TV, if he enjoys his life and doesn't hurt a soul, why be judgmental towards him?
As you said, it's a semantics problem. I suppose it's one of those things you can never truly understand if you have never experienced it for yourself. You obviously have not known many people with terminal diseases. I have, and I do. With my occupation, I am around the terminally ill on a daily basis. Some of them---the inspiring ones---choose to live out their last days with purpose, including those who decided to marry their sweetheart. "Thinking only of yourself?" It takes two people to get married, and the intended spouse knows what he or she is getting into. It is a choice they make together. You may not think it is something you would ever consider, but you cannot force your point of view on others. Some of them feel differently. When all is said and done, "it may not turn out the way I would like" is a pitiful excuse to avoid taking action. If you have a dream, it is better to take steps toward achieving it.
Your resistance to that concept reminds me of those people who stop living because they figure there is no point. "I am out of time," they say. My great-grandmother did that. She wasted ten years in her bedroom, waiting to die. Ten years flushed down the toilet when she could have been living her life. When she finally accepted the fact that she wasn't going to die, and came out of her room, she was never able to catch back up, again. How sad.
Well, no matter. I offer my words to you in the hope that, perhaps someday, they will be of use to you. If they help you to avoid the mistakes others have made, so much the better. If not, well, at least I tried. )
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Thanks. It's not "it may not turn out the way I would like", it's "it may turn out that my action hurts others". But yes, I generally agree with your sentiment, in the sense that it's better to be alive than dead inside. :) I don't think it's important to make your dreams come true, as it is to believe that they one day might become true. But even without dreams, if you're satisfied with your lot in life, that's probably the best thing you can get.
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How exactly has life taught you that there is nothing (NOTHING!) more important than your relationship with God?
I'm going to be honest, I think that's a fucking appalling way to think. God is more important than your family, your friends, your hobbies and past-times, your interests, your health, your intellectual development, your future, your family's future, your free time. That's wrong to me on so very many levels, and I'm curious as to how life would have "taught" you that.
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To have a relationship with God, is to have faith in something. Something to believe in to give you hope and happiness, so that you can place importance in such things. I'm not religious by any means, I'm agnostic at best, but that's the best way to put it.
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Most people have a gross underestimation of God, and that is true even if you exclude all of those who do not believe in God. That is because most people are lacking in knowledge, and of those who have knowledge, most are lacking in understanding that knowledge. That is why those who have a bit of knowledge and a sound grasp of that knowledge understand the importance of continued education. The seeking of knowledge and its understanding should be a life-long endeavor, and there is no more important subject of study than the purpose of our existence.
At this point, those who believe that God is the creator of everything naturally focus on understanding Him and their relationship to Him. Those who do not, they focus on avoiding Him.
Let us assume for a moment that you are part of the former group. You have provided a list of things which a person may (or may not) consider important in life.
...your family, your friends, your hobbies and past-times, your interests, your health, your intellectual development, your future, your family's future, your free time.
If you believe that God is the creator of the universe and everything in it, then those things you listed are part of His creation. If you also believe that everything which is good comes from God, whether it be a blessing, a gift, or your God-given talent, then everything you listed is part of your life because of God's beneficence. In other words, you have those things because of God. Doesn't that make Him more important than the list of things?
Let us look at it another way. Do you believe that God created you and put you upon this earth for the purpose of "having things?" If you think about it, you should eventually conclude that such a thing would be nonsensical, and God is not nonsensical. The truth of the matter is that all of these "things" are there to enable you to fulfill your true purpose. Once again, God is more important than the list of things.
Beyond that, however, is another matter of faith. Assuming for the moment that you believe in life after death, to whom do you think you will be returning? It will not be your hobbies waiting for you "on the other side," nor your health and free time. God will be the One you must face, the One to whom we all must answer. Will anything be more important than your relationship with Him when you are standing before Him? So, why wait until that moment before you do anything about it? Why not establish a strong relationship with God while you still have the ability to do so in this life? If you do, you will begin to see that your relationship to everyone and everything else in this life is colored by your relationship to God. If you are focused on making sure your relationship with Him is good, the way you deal with everything He's given you will be good.
Yes, your relationship to Him is more important than anything else.
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I remember a bit in Red Dead Remdemption, where you do a favour for a pregnant woman in a church. At least I think she was pregnant. It's been a while since I played it. Anyway. You do a favour for her, and when you've completed it, she thanks God for sending you.
It's best I don't engage with your arguments, or raise questions. Much of what you wrote both baffles and angers me in equal measure. And I'm being restraint. We would not get along irl.
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Holding different points of view is perfectly normal and acceptable. As individuals, we have different knowledge, different life experiences, and have come to different conclusions about "all of the puzzle pieces" we have. Personally, I don't mind exchanging ideas and examining other peoples "pieces," but not everyone is comfortable with that. In some ways, that's unfortunate as people have a lot more in common than they have different. In any case, being strong enough to practice restraint is both admirable and rare.
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I'd say that even under these assumptions this assertion fails. The main problem is, the relationship is one sides. You don't do what God wants, you do what you assume God wants. In the end, it depends on your interpretation, and for some people that interpretation includes causing harm to others.
It's also a pretty shallow statement, because deep down it translates to how you view the world and how you treat others. Religion simply puts a veil between you and reality. Instead of trying to relate to others directly, you do that through the filter of your view of God. And because you can't understand God, you are at a disadvantage at understanding the world.
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I'd say that even under these assumptions this assertion fails. The main problem is, the relationship is one sides. You don't do what God wants, you do what you assume God wants. In the end, it depends on your interpretation, and for some people that interpretation includes causing harm to others.
You are certainly entitled to your point of view, but mine is different. I definitely do not see my relationship with God as being one-sided. Life is complicated, and the intellect of man is not sufficient guidance to avoid its pitfalls and achieve ultimate success. That is why God has not left us without instruction, giving us the "owner's manual" which is revelation. I have spent (and continue to spend) considerable time and effort learning and understanding what God wants from us. In the end, it is not my interpretation that matters, but rather the explanation of the person to whom God gave His revelation. Without an accurate understanding of that explanation, a person might try to interpret revelation based upon his/her own ignorance. Like throwing darts in the dark, a lack of knowledge and understanding makes it very difficult to hit the mark, often resulting in harm to oneself and/or others.
It's also a pretty shallow statement, because deep down it translates to how you view the world and how you treat others. Religion simply puts a veil between you and reality. Instead of trying to relate to others directly, you do that through the filter of your view of God.
How we view the world and how we treat others is the basis for how we live. I find it odd that you see that as "shallow." Your notion of "religion" is obviously different than mine, but that does not change the fact that a person's perception of the world and his/her place within it is going to affect how he/she behaves. Doesn't that include "relating to others?"
And because you can't understand God, you are at a disadvantage at understanding the world.
It is true that failure to understand God puts one at a disadvantage in understanding the world. It is also true that understanding God gives one an advantage in understanding the world. That being so, the wise course of action is to seek understanding, is it not?
It may very well be that you do not see things as I do, and that is fine. Our life experiences are different. Your beliefs may differ from mine, and that is also fine. Matters of belief are up to the individual, after all. If you feel I am trying to change your mind, however, you are mistaken. Rather, I am encouraging you to think about what it is that you are saying.
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Sorry for the very late reply. Been rather busy.
How we view the world and how we treat others is the basis for how we live.
True. My point in saying it's shallow is that I don't see how adding God to the equation changes anything. We view the world and relate to others even without God, and there can be good people who don't believe and bad people who do, and the other way round. I don't see how God factors in this.
That is basically my point, that I don't see how relationship with God is an important part of life, and of course for your it's different. I can understand that for some people it's important, and I can see upsides and downsides to religion, but I don't see belief as a fundamental requirement for behaving in a way that God wants, if you forget the rituals and just consider how people treat each other and the world.
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I am talking neither about belief nor rituals. Having a belief in God does not determine the quality of one's relationship with Him. Satan believes in God, but his relationship with God is one of animosity. Those who have a strong love and bond with their Creator do all they can to bring every aspect of their lives into alignment with what God desires from them. Every action, therefore, becomes significant because it is part of that relationship. At the opposite end of the spectrum are those who avoid God and try hard to have no relationship with Him. Whatever actions they may perform are for themselves or for other people, not God, and so those actions carry no weight with God.
For this reason, those who believe in God should give precedence to their relationship with Him. (Those who do not believe in God can simply ignore all of this.)
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Thanks for the explanation.
That is why I'm afraid of those who care first and foremost about their relationship with God. They have no true understanding of good and evil, because they don't care about that, they care only about what they feel God wants. If that means, for example, killing infidels, then that's what they'd do.
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They have no true understanding of good and evil, because they don't care about that, they care only about what they feel God wants.
That is true of some people. Specifically, those who lack knowledge and understanding of what God told us He wants. However, you are apparently claiming that everyone who is aware of their connection to God falls into that category, and I know that to be false. Regardless, my point of that relationship both affecting and taking precedence over everything else remains valid. You cannot argue otherwise simply based on the evil done by some who disobey Him. One of the most pernicious lies people commonly delude themselves with is "the ends justifies the means." The truth of the matter is that the "means" is the "ends."
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But they don't disobey Him. The bible is full of people killing by God's command, and even God himself killing transgressors. It is your belief in God's way against their belief in it. Both of you may regard the other as wrong. In fact, that's one of the the main problems I see, how divided and divisive belief in God is. Everyone thinks their way is right.
I'm not claiming at all that all believers fall into a certain category or another. They are as varied as non-believers. Their interpretation of life and God's will is subject to their own character. I do think that belief in the Bible funnels people in certain directions (be charitable towards those like you, be dismissive or resentful towards those who aren't), but certainly everyone will get different things from that, depending on who they are as a person and what life experiences they had.
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It is your belief in God's way against their belief in it.
Authenticity and interpretation of scripture is its own topic, and one too big to canvass here. Everyone thinks their way is right, or at least workable, or at least in fitting with what they want, or at least not worth changing. (Fixed it for you.) That is true even if "their way" involves basing their heads against a rock, repeatedly, until they are dead. Does that mean their way actually is right? Hardly. It is up to the individual, however, to decide whether or not their "way" is worth examining for flaws or possible improvement (either in understanding or clarity). Some people care, some don't.
Their interpretation of life and God's will is subject to their own character.
Everyone's interpretation is subject to their own character. That is why people commonly make mistakes in judgement. Those who care about being correct, however, test their perception of reality and adjust it to the extent they are able to determine, which is how they end up thinking the Earth is roundish instead of flat. Sure, some people may prefer to stick with their own interpretation of reality in contradiction to available evidence, but that doesn't mean a more accurate understanding of reality isn't possible.
Reality is what it is. Our perception of it may be more accurate or less so, but its nature does not change based upon our point of view.
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The closet will rot your soul, and the light of day will let it thrive.
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Don't trust story tellers.
Save your time for what you really like doing.
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Patience is the key. With it, you learn to think before acting, you become wiser. You forge friendships, solve problems easily. Being too quick has never been a good solution. I'm still working on it, as I tend to be too fast to consider my actions and opportunities/possibilities.
Always allow yourself to judge someone a second time. A first glance is rarely enough to truly see through and understand a person's personality, life, and thoughts. When you're angry or dislike someone for who they are, look again - they are rarely who you first assumed they were.
Sometimes, being spontaneous when undecided is a good thing. Lingering on a decision for too long may cause you to miss an opportunity.
Your actions define who you are, what people think of you and how they act towards you. While it isn't good to be too self-conscious, one should always remain aware of what they do and what effect it has on their surrounding.
Late night deep thoughts with jbond.
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Stepping up to help others is the quickest, sure-fire way to feel grateful and content with your lot in life.
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Hey guys.
Not much of a talker here but I wanted to try sharing maybe some interesting ideas. What has life taught you ?
Mine is : Trust Yourself (not very original but it's something that can take a lifetime to believe in)
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