Live in the Present

November 7, 2020

Worry, worry, worry! Everyone is worried about something … Poor people worry about where their next meal will come from, unemployed worry about when they would get their opportunity, whereas rich people are worrying about how to make more money and wealth and how to minimize their losses in current adverse conditions!

The Buddha told us, “Don’t Worry. Be Present”. One of the teachings of Buddha is that: The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but instead to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

The Bible in Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad”. 1 Peter 5:7 says “cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Jesus Says in Matthew 6:25-34, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

Isn’t it easy to say, “Do not worry” but very difficult not to worry!

We are all humans after all and worrying and anxiety is human’s nature. But certainly we can minimize our worries! Surely we all know by worrying we can’t change anything!

Therefore let’s look at how to reduce our worries:

Each and every one of us has gone through some or other lows in life, maybe we have had terminal illness, or an accident, or unemployed for a long time, or a terrible financial loss, or loss of a close family member, or a family trouble, or a very poor childhood, it could be anything! And most of us have victoriously come out from such rough phases of our life. Let’s remind ourselves how we survived such situations and these memories will give us hope that the current COVID19 pandemic & its long drawn effects will pass by faster than we anticipate!

Some of us will remember how our prayers or meditation or fasting brought us out from our adverse conditions. Therefore let’s remind ourselves and develop deep spirituality through meditation, prayers and fasting. These spiritual tools will help us to reduce our worries and increase our hope for a better future.

Some of us have a deep sense of generosity, sharing and caring and let’s continue to do these good works in this hour of great chaos in the world. Let’s reach out according to our abilities and inspirations to the less fortunate and vulnerable and our good works will surely bring us out from current unprecedented times and will raise our hope for a better world and future.

Most importantly let’s remember we had no control on our birth and we have no control on our death, therefore let’s trust in God who is in control of everything and at the right time (God’s time) we will come out from our current adversaries. Therefore let’s be patient with one another and with the current situation, and our calmness together with our hundred percent efforts in whatever little we are doing will give us strength and courage to lessen our worries and to visualize a bright future post COVID19.

Let’s remember we are born into this world to live a joyous life, glorifying God in all circumstances and let’s do what we can to stay calm and live in the present.

 

 

By Gilbert Menezes
Gilbert Menezes is from Moodbelle in Udupi and currently residing in Melbourne, Australia.
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Comment on this article

  • Lucy Rodrigues, Moodubelle/Andheri

    Fri, Nov 13 2020

    Thank you so much for your beautiful article. Very inspiring. God will never abandon us if we have faith in him. Prayers will help us to come out from all the problems. Wishing you all the very best. God bless you.

  • Gilbert Menezes, Melbourne / Moodubelle

    Thu, Nov 12 2020

    Thank you for taking the time to comment Mr. Saldanha. People will change if they put in their own efforts and prayers! But only the mask may fall off due to someone else prayers & efforts!

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Wed, Nov 11 2020

    Sometimes it's not the people who change.
    It's the mask that falls off ...

  • John B. Monteiro, Bondel Mangalore

    Sun, Nov 08 2020

    This adds further credibility to your assertions and exhortations. Praise be to God!

  • Gilbert Menezes, Melbourne / Moodubelle

    Sun, Nov 08 2020

    Thank you for sharing your life experience, Mr. Monteiro!
    Perhaps I missed out to add in the article to take inspiration from our friends, family members & the general public who have shared stories of their struggles & during our difficult days learn from them the difficulties they went through & the ways they adapted to come out from their adverse situations!
    Every one of us has a different story & experience to share which will help many around us to live in hope & focus!
    I was bedridden for two years at age of 21, during my Engineering due to severe Rheumatoid arthritis affecting all my major joints. Most of the time I couldn't even move out of my bed & it was the darkest period of my life! But as you shared, the love from my parents & siblings & the prayers of all my friends & family members made me come out from such great adversity!
    One of the specialist doctors had warned me that, I may have to live lifelong in pain & most of my joints would be crippled & I may not be able to live a normal life, I may not able to get married & have kids etc.....
    Part of his predictions did come true as my hip joints were fused after some years as arthritis disease progressed in me slowly. But Birmingham Hip Resurfacing technology had just invented then & I underwent both hips resurfacing at a very young age & miraculously overcame all my painful joints & painful living since then! It has been more than 15 years now & I am living a normal life every day! Praises & Glory to God!
    Meantime I had a wonderful professional career (sometimes up & down) & today God has blessed me in everything! I have a wonderful family, a loving wife, two doting children & everything to live a content life!
    I call upon everyone to trust in God & live a beautiful life as per God's calling & will! Every one of us has a purpose for our life, to share & care for all around us & to glorify God in everything we do! God bless us all!
    I will share more of my life experience as I get the opportunity!

  • John B. Monteiro, Bondel Mangalore

    Sat, Nov 07 2020

    Very positive and hope-inspiring message which I can confirm from my recent transition from Covid+ to –Covid. But, as you said, I experienced positive support from my son (I live alone in a cottage in Mangalore) who came down from Mumbai and stayed for a fortnight, starting from my declared + and much beyond I was declared negative after home quarantine.
    Beyond this were prayers from my son’s, daughter’s family in Mumbai, my married sister and her family in Mangalore, my brother and his family in Mumbai and my brother in my ancestral house Bellore and my three sister nuns spread across India.
    All this confirms your optimistic message. Thank you.


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