Every single moment of your life you do something
(even when you do nothing — you do nothing)
Everything you do has consequences
Everything you do has two type of consequences:
—Present consequences
—Long-term consequences
The consequences can be positive or negative or neutral
Most of us spend lives trying to prevent our present and future from deteriorating
We prevent the present from deteriorating by pleasuring ourselves and numbing ourselves and distracting ourselves
We prevent the future from deteriorating by showing up at our job every day, taking care of that paycheck tomorrow.
Some of us spend lives trying to maximise the long-term — while disregarding the present
The irony is that the long-term consequences will still only be accessible in the present
E.g.:
If you always save — that means you’re saving today and tomorrow. Which means you’ll still be saving when you have saved enough to no longer need to save (always is always).
Or if you always work — that means you’re working today and tomorrow. Which means you’ll still be working once you have accomplished more then you “wanted”.
And obviously, if you always put back DOING WHAT YOU WANT — you’ll find a way to NOT do it tomorrow: find new excuses, find new problems.
Some of us spend lives trying to maximise the present — while disregarding the long-term.
The irony is that the long-term will eventually have to be faced in the present — thus resulting in not maximisation of the present — but deterioration.
There is obviously only one way
Way which maximises both the present and the long-term
There is no other way
I repeat — there is no other way
This must be really, REALLY understood
You must make the most out of the present AND out of the future
Like it is one
Which it is
Why so few of us get it right?
Because before we found our path we have already been conditioned and swayed and coerced away from ourselves — into one of the inimical mass-produced models of life
Inheriting a lifestyle from others comes with the comfort of ridding oneself from responsibility: over one’s life, over oneself
But that will never be your life
And it will likely not even be a good life
It will likely fall in an unhealthy way into one of those two paradigms, or both
Example:
-You are weaned on the dichotomy of work vs relaxation, seeing it everywhere: at your home, at your school, on the tv screen, everywhere
-You’re conditioned to get a respectable job
-Doing “what you want” is generally unadvised
-You are conditioned to what is supposed to put a smile on your face and make you happy
-You are conditioned to what you’re supposed to want
-You are prepared to comfortably settle on a mediocre life, rather then uncomfortably strive for an extraordinary one
GENERALLY, you embark into the adulthood already with a false schism between what you WANT-TO-DO and what you SHOULD-DO
It’s false
It’s not true
The ONLY way to live is such that every single moment has positive consequences — and both in the present and long-term
And it is not a dream: it’s simply a function of KNOWING-WHAT-ONE-WANTS and EXPLORING ONE’s WAY until such LIFE-PATH IS FOUND
The ONLY way to live is such that every single moment has positive consequences — and both in the present and long-term
The only division will be that of some things having more present positive consequences — and some having more long-term positive consequences
But NOTHING in your life will have negative consequences either long-term or present
You just don’t live that way
Because you know that how you live today is how you live every day
THIS is the only mindset which must be taken:
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES?
WHAT ARE THE PRESENT-CONSEQUENCES?
WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES?
It’s the only questions to ask
Not the “pursue your dream” silly dichotomy
Not appealing to compromise
Not “biting the bullet”
Not the “future glory”
Only how you live today — and as a result — tomorrow
This question immediately organises your life
If you take care of the present consequences — you won’t do anything that should make you feel miserable now, in the name of false tomorrow’s glory
If you take care of the long-term consequences — you won’t make that unhealthy choice or unproductive choice — not since there are INFINITELY many choices
If you keep asking yourself those questions — it will become natural to align yourself at progressively more rewarding path
You’ll be recognising the options you have, every single day: and choosing options which have most positive present and long-term consequences both
It’s all extremely simple: but it just doesn’t happen when you operate in one of those dichotomic, inimical models: in which it’s either maximum indulgence, or maximum “duty” and ambition
There’s nothing more to say
Don’t do it if you don’t love it — find something that you DO want to do — which still has positive long-term consequences
And don’t do it if it’s a waste of your time; Life is short; You’re tired and lazy and that’s ok. Find a way then to be TIRED AND LAZY while still benefiting yourself long-term
There’s nothing more to say
Admitting the consequences: present and long-term — forces you to face the truth of your actions
Then you just have to shuffle through options until you found a BETTER option
…ad infinitum
And your life will improve
Actually improve
Improve NOW
AND tomorrow