It’s alluring because there’s always something (far off, mysterious, romantic, redemptive, hopeful) to look forward to.
The next show.
The next tour.
The next song.
The next session or record.
The next plan.
The next season of your career.
But here’s the thing about looking-forward-to…if you’re constantly looking-forward-to then when you get there you’re probably going to keep doing what you’ve been doing…which is to skip the present and continue looking-forward-to.
You were looking forward to the thing but you couldn’t enjoy it because the looking-forward-to muscle is the only one you’ve been training.
What the thing/event/season that you’re really looking forward to actually needs from you is to be present, engaging, appreciative and fully alive WHEN it happens.
Soooo…it turns out the best way to serve the thing you’re looking forward to is to tuck it away for now and practice being present, engaging, appreciative and fully alive in what’s going on right now.
If we get sucked into the allure of looking-forward-to, then that is what we will always do, and that is what we’ll be best at. We will always have the build up and never the pay off.
The only way to have looking-forward-to actually pay off is to stop practicing so hard at looking-forward-to.
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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com