worksheet 4: Don’t let your life be a foregone conclusion
You may struggle to live just for today. Yesterday is past, tomorrow is a mystery but today is a present.
You can only live in the present moment. Carpe diem means seize the day!
It is difficult to harness the minds to stay focused on the present moment. It is forever replaying the regretful past or leaning towards the future unknown.
Michel de Montaigne stated quite perceptibly that “my life has been filled with terrible misfortunes; most of which never happened.”
Reaching foregone conclusions means living today as if tomorrow has already happened. A good analogy is preparing for exams which can feel like walking to the gallows or entering a courtroom to be judged. No matter how much you prepare, you can’t seem to escape the ominous cloud of failure. As the day of reckoning approaches, your nerves are shot and you struggle to relax. You struggle to envisage what life will be like if you do indeed fail. The shame of it seems unimaginable. You dread letting down your teachers and parents who expect so much from you.
The ‘996’ (working from 9-9, six days per week) work culture in China, has left many graduates feeling hopeless about transitioning from academia to the world of work. ‘All work and no play’ makes Jack dull but it also leads to burnout and an unhealthy work life balance. Where is the time for relationships, hobbies or just plain old fun? Working 9-5, 5 days a week was considered challenging enough. As Dolly Parton sang – “What a way to make a living…it’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it.” Many graduates are choosing not to work at all and have become known as ‘Fulltime children’.
[Pool Pharmacy, ‘China’s Youth are at Breaking Point’ China Uncensored with Chris Chappell – https://www.brighteon.com/c7b8cf79-824a-4e7d-831f-fd24ce58efb6 ]
What are you most dreading about the future?
What do you consider to be the worst possible outcome?
Even if you don’t achieve your desired outcome, there will always be opportunities to be of service to others in some capacity?