In this paperback that I am most usually found reading while lounging poolside, the characters are talking, “you’ve got no control over anything, so why not just sit back and take life as it comes?”

As if.

Such a simple concept, live in the moment, take life as it comes; this is very relaxing a concept- but very difficult for most of us to do.  There are two types of people in this life, the ones that can take whatever as they roll with it; then there’s the other type of personality the micro-managers that can’t do anything without planning their exact life completely out.  The same thing goes for surprise parties, some live in the moment, roll with whatever comes up and just enjoys the moment.  It’s not to say that the other type of personality doesn’t enjoy the moment, they are just more for sticking to the plan, having a certain idea in their head, and plans to do just that.  The rollers vs. the planners.  For instance, the wife of one of my friends planned a surprise party for her husband, and when he arrives home from work, about 40 people are in his living room/kitchen; SURPRISE!  The husband says, “I guess we’re not going to Sports Center for dinner…”
I never figured out if he was quite joking or not.

In my personal life, I try to keep the “roller” mindset, take the situations as they come, live each day in the present…the main yogic mindset that is more relaxing that the alternative.  Whenever my mind races away from me, I try to pull it back to the moment and adapt the roll with it, who cares? attitude.

In the end, what can you really do?  Stupid crap is always going to happen, whether we plan on it or not.  [Mostly, I know we NEVER plan on it, life happens.]  The train falls off the track eventually. Hopefully, it doesn’t happen TOO often, but tragedies occur all the time.

Engine engine number nine… on the NY transit line; if my train falls of the track

I wonder, if every one took advantage of the moment, are appreciative of what we have at the present, if the world would not be a better place.  Ya I know, better place, blah blah… but seriously, think about all that we truly have in this moment.  We do have the ability to think, to walk, to laugh and to love and that is something that can be lost in a moment.  In a second, one decision could dramatically change a life.  It  could be something as simple as deciding to go out to a party one night resulting in getting grounded because of missing a curfew; or the decision to turn left or right resulting in a life altering car accident that erases the dream of a big family.  As people, we don’t realize all the advantages that we do have.

  NO MORE TAKING ADVANTAGE