Where are we going?
Where did we come from?
At times it seems like these questions have no head or tail.
What awaits after our current reality becomes another?
Could it be Heaven, Nirvana or perhaps some other new exciting kind of life?
While I certainly hope this is the case, let’s see what we can do right now to assure eternal bliss on Earth.
In his excellent book, IT’S NOT A MATTER OF LUCK, IT’S A MATTER OF ATTITUDE, Carlos Saúl Rodríguez explains a concept from Phenomenological Existence about different ways of living. Some people are “Present,” participating actively in life and directing their own destiny. Others are “Absent,” blending into the landscape and giving in to the circumstances of life which happen to arise.
To further the example, we can distinguish two different points in time, the present and the future.
Those who are “Present” in our lives, continue to be “Present” in the future even when they are physically “Absent”. Think about it for a moment. Those who have been present and part of our lives while they are alive, continue to be in our mind even when they are no longer around. They are those who have marked a difference in our lives whether it be our parents, grandparents, relatives, teachers, neighbors, colleagues or friends.
On the other hand there are those who are “Absent” in the “Present”, and when they become physically “Absent”, they remain “Absent” from our minds. They are those who don’t speak up, who are afraid to act, who don’t participate and who view life from behind a window never venturing out into the big bright lights of life. They are those who we know are alive because they are breathing though they show no other signs of life.
Could it be we continue to live on in the minds of others even when we are gone?
While being “Present” doesn’t necessarily mean we have to positively impact each and every person we meet, we can seek to positively influence those whom we love and care about.
Might this be what it means to go to Heaven, to reach Nirvana or perhaps be the reincarnation which so many different religions advocate in different ways? Maybe this is the true meaning of “Infinity”, for what we give in life comes back in a never ending cycle which is indeed eternity.
To leave a legacy which is worthy and welcome we need only be “Present” in the lives of those we love and care about. A mother is present when she so carefully watches over each of her children’s steps. A father is present when day in and day out he goes out into the world to provide his family with prosperity and plenitude to the best of his ability. An employee is present when he searches for opportunities to help his colleagues without expecting anything in return. A friend is present when he or she stays by our side in silence knowing sometimes there are no words which can possibly express how we feel inside.
Perhaps the greatest hunger worldwide is not for a lack of food, rather for a lack of affection and attention. To assure we are ever “Present” in the minds of others, we need only be “Present” in their most relevant moments and in this way we can guarantee eternal bliss.
∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL III 19