We Can’t Know, We must Not Know, and Thank God it is So

Episode 11

Welcome to Minding Your Mind, a weekly show for those looking for new thinking about old knowledge in the areas of Time, Living, Success, Health, Love, and Happiness.

Episode 10 was about my realized perception of Time, a distinction and how our minds are wrapped in it.

Today I talk about, not being able to know, why we must not have that ability…, and why we should thank God, we don’t.

I know… It sounds counterintuitive, right…, but wait?

Hello, I am William Garcia, Philosopher and author of the book titled Now O’ Clock…Being Mindful, it Always is.

I expect to live for some time to come and so…, the future is usually on my mind. However, I do not use a lot of energy thinking about it.

Instead, as I journey…, and from Time to Time…, what I do is take a mental peek out into my horizon to make sure I am on the right path toward my goal.

It is sort of like taking a quick mental glance at a check list and crossing out tasks already accomplished.

Meanwhile, I am here and now…, with thoughts on my mind, and hope in my heart…, that I will actually be living the Life I had planned for and imagined.

Nonetheless…, I am mindful of the possibility that sometimes the life we imagine, remain dreams that never come true.

If this has happened, or if it ever happens to you…, try to not let yourself to be discouraged. Just be aware that it will always be better to have dreams that don’t come true…, than to not have any dreams at all.

Remember, life is a journey…, not a destination…, and a journey pursuing a dream, realized or not, is life…, best lived. It is what gets us out of bed in the morning. It is what gets us looking to the future.

Like everything else in Life…, we dream in the Present and our thoughts about our dreams are all part of the reality of our entire life, as we live it…, and that is a good thing.

Because, just thinking about them is positive, and thinking positive is “being” positive in the Present Tense…; the only instance of your entire life as, it happens.

Thoughts about my dreams and goals make me smile more…, and I am usually in a better mood as I anxiously anticipate achievement… I could almost taste it.

I’m like the child whose mom, Destiny…, told him that he would get a candy from the candy jar tomorrow, the future…, if he continued to be a good boy, work hard, and be patient.

Unbeknownst to mom however, I had stolen and hidden a piece of candy in my mouth, and smiled to hide what I was up to, and hoping she had not noticed.

Mind you…, I am not suggesting you steal anything unless it is a small taste…, a sip of life…; some small reward for staying your path…; for keeping your dream alive.

After all, Life is about enjoying the moment…, and you should… Cheers!!

Remember…, you are always living your entire, life.

Think of it as “Life-tasting”, while on your journey toward the candy jar.

Before you know it, you are at the beginning of a new rainbow when the taste of the candy is sweetest…; goal achieved, and living the goodness of your new present reality…; your dream realized.

Of course, during our journey through life and…, as it is in any equation for success…, there will always be variables we have little or no control over.

Some of those variables may be related to health, family, economics or nature…, and even when we plan for the unexpected, the possibility of being blindsided…, is always there.

Life happens and the Universe does not conspire with us… It is as simple as that… What then?… You do not quit. That is “what then.”

Instead…, treat being blindsided as maybe a signal from the universe that you chart a new course, modify your plans, or simply lower your expectation just a little.

Any difference may very well be, minimally…, inconsequential.

Depending on your circumstance, these changes may be just what Dr. Destiny prescribes.

Like the best navigators when faced with unforeseen challenges, they abide by time, new knowledge and experience to determine how and when it is wise to chart a new course toward the same destiny.

Because change is inevitable, I believe it is wise to prepare as best you can…, and to be mentally, nimble.

Eventualities we cannot know before Now…, may arise…; eventualities that may come with alternative solutions we cannot know either. But such is life, right? Such is the future. Such is not knowing.

At all times however…, be mindful that Change is a chronic and inevitable side effect of the constancy of Time.

With this in mind…, it is important to consider that the further into the future your dreams live…, the greater the likelihood the unforeseen or unexpected will pop up.

However, this is not to say that pop ups are all bad. Our own history tells us that most of them, most of the time…, were either inconsequential or good.

So…, stay on your path and continue to expect the best. Let your own history be your guide.

This is true for the journey that is Life…, a long road trip, a five-year goal, or a 50-year marriage.

Murphy’s Law has nothing but Time, on its hands.

So…, we live as we do today with our beliefs, attitudes, hopes, principles, and values…, characteristics that are part of our makeup and integral to any equation for Success… It is about who we are and are becoming, as we journey forward.

Now…, depending on our age, circumstance, and our total reference at the time we make our plans…, some or all these characteristics may shift or change altogether as Time elapses, and Life happens.

This by the way…, may not necessarily be a bad thing.

Regardless…, after having achieved our goals…, we will not be the same person who had, some years prior, set out to attain them.

Remember…, we will always never be the same, twice.

Of course, we can imagine or…, even visualize ourselves in a future…, and this is a good exercise for goal setting. Still…, we cannot know for sure if our goal will be met and our dreams realized, as we imagined.

We just don’t know… We can’t know…, and thank God…, it is so.

Not being able to know, is why it is wise to always make the best of life “being” in the Present Positive Tense while on your journey…, whether you have a goal or not.

Remember that Life is a “Present Tense” experience…, and that the future, is a Thought experiment.

Still…, remain aware that realized dreams involve changes to our lifestyle…; it comes with the objective.

The achievement of your goal may afford you a fancy car, an expensive house in a nice neighborhood, private school for your children, and other “Embodiments.”

The question then becomes…, “Did your beliefs, attitudes, principles, and values hold throughout”?… Only you would know that.

We all change in Time, and with experience…, whether we are goal oriented or not.

You may have heard it said about someone, perhaps yourself…, “Since they became a doctor/lawyer or the boss…, they are not the same person as before.”

But of course, not… Out of necessity…, relationships change.

Obviously…, we cannot avoid natural changes like aging, the unforeseen or…, the unexpected.

On the other hand…, our pursuits…, as difficult as they may have been, may not be more difficult than actually living with the benefits.

Sometimes, it is easier to achieve a goal than it is to live with what the achievement affords us.

Your achievement can influence the people you associate with, positively or negatively…, and sometimes these people are friends and family…, and it could present a challenge.

It’s OK though…; it is usually what change does.

Just keep in mind that it is, “your” Present experience…; an experience you have made come true.

Also, realize that, at the same time, associates, friends, and family are living “their” Present experience…, and that eventually everything else will fall into place.

Life is one big fitting room, and it is only a matter of time before everyone fits in; before everyone gets back to living along.

As humans, we are designed with the ability to think as we are with the inability to know the future…, and I believe this is for the good of Humanity.

Would you like to know your future? I certainly am thankful to God, that I cannot know mine.

I believe it could devalue the present moment…, the only moment there is…, the moment in Time, I live my entire Life.

We already do a lot of “Thought Surfing”, that only results in many missed moments…, moments when our ability to appreciate the Present is missed.

But that is not all…, because to miss the moment is to miss your entire mindful Life for the duration of that moment, and you never get it back…., never.

Think about it… We are moving so fast…, constantly distracted…, and “being” oblivious to the many and costly missed moments in any given day. Imagine how many Lifetimes that could amount to.

By now…, you know.

Fortunately…, it is a “loss of living” expense we do not have to incur every time.

Here again is where “being” as you are, and as everything is, without judgment, I think, may diminish the losses. It helps to tune your sense of presence in the now and set your daily intentions.

Still…, don’t just arrive. Be mindfully present wherever you are. Slowing down and paying attention in the Here and Now, will always be more valuable than knowing the future…, regardless of what you imagine it to be.

After all, it is only in the Present Living Moment that you can experience your own presence where, and when, you will always “be” before you can even begin to dream…, much…, less live that dream.

This is why the Present is so precious. It is all the Time we have…; it is all the Time there is.

I’ve said it a thousand times…, and I will say it a thousand times more. So…, savor the moment more often than you do now. There is always time for another sip of life… Take it… Cheers!!

I don’t mean to scare you… But, consider this horrible thought experiment… What if you knew of an imminent danger to yourself or a loved one…, and there was nothing you could do to stop it?… What if it is a year from now?… What would you do in your present circumstance?… Would you be able to even sleep at night?… What, in your life, would you start, continue, or stop altogether?… What kind of life would yours be?… How could anyone prepare for such an eventuality?

The most precious thing you have, your life…, would lose all meaning being in the now… Horrible, right?

What if…, on the other hand, you knew of some good fortune to be bestowed on you a year from now?… What if it is a multimillion inheritance from someone who just picked your name out of a hat… What if it is any of a million good things that could happen to you, or to someone you love?

Would you fire your boss?… Would you continue to pursue a goal you may have set?… Would you divorce your spouse?… Would you drop out of college?

Who would you become?

Horrible, or fortuitus, we can go on, and on, and on with this…, and the result would be the same.

Who was it that said…, better one bird in your hand than ten in the bush?… Well…, all those horrible or fortuitous things are in the bush.

Now…, is that bird in your hands. Be mindful and grateful for it… Live it… Otherwise, it could lose its meaning…, its value.

Not knowing what is next, is what makes Now invaluable as it aligns with you being in it.

It is what make dreams the beautiful things they are…, and why we have them.

Could you imagine there being nothing to dream about?

I’m not even going to try.

Still…, not knowing the future is simply being human. It is still OK to imagine what is around the corner, the boogieman under the bed…, or to dream beautiful dreams even if they do not come true.

You will always have now…, to “be”, as you are, and to “do”, as you will.

When you think about it…, five, 10, 20 years ago…, you could not know your life to be as it is now. Still…, you are here…, and I bet you are at least OK, or, good enough for now.

Now…, keep in mind that I am talking about who we were and are becoming as humans…, and not about the Things we planned for and may have accumulated over the years.

It is one thing to put a plan in motion in order to acquire a Thing sometime into the future… We could start saving dollars to make a down payment on a house…, or buy our dream car.

It is quite another thing to set out to be true to who we are now, and our thinking about who we will be…, at some point into the future.

Still…, we just can’t know…; we must not know, and thank God…, it is so.

To be sure…, our total reference will continue to increase as we live in Time experiencing our “being” in the Present Living Moment, as we are, and as everything is.

Mindful that Life lasts but an instant, I like to think of my Tomorrows as gifts…, gifts I open every morning when I wake up…, gifts that are always mirrors.

When I look into my mirror, the reflection is always different throughout the day, every day throughout my Life, and I like that.

Of course…, I am talking about what is most important…, the reflection of my mindful “being” …, not my physical image.

I like what I see… I see me…, and I like me.

Meanwhile, we all have our daily routines…, the many minor decisions we make subconsciously. Then…, there are major conscious decisions we make.

We join a gym, buy a house, or get married…, and after settling in, routine and all…, the force of Life happens. There is a sudden tragedy, the diagnosis of a deadly disease, divorce, or the loss of a loved one, and we are faced with…, and compelled to make, difficult decisions.

Life’s happenstances such as these, are what many of us have had to cope with, or are now…, coping with.

Ordinarily…, when we take it upon ourselves to make life-changing decisions, they usually involve variables we never contemplated and, perhaps at the time…, may not be able to manage.

All of a sudden…, routine goes out the window, and something new and powerful, is in your face.

I have heard it put this way…, “It is one thing to know that the devil is out there somewhere. It is quite another to meet him”.

Fortunately, for most of us…, we believe we can take on any challenge Life may visit upon us…, and it is good to think positively. When we do…, most of the time we overcome.

However, remember…, we are talking about the Future. We are talking about a Time that exists only in our thoughts.

We know who we were and…, for the most part…, who we are. But we do not know who we will be tomorrow, and whether we would, in reality…, be able to cope with the cards Life deals us.

Thankfully…, and I mean thankfully…, for most of us, Life has been, and is mostly good, and that tomorrow again…, will be a good day.

Always expect that it will be.

Still…, from Time to Time, we should do a reality check by “being” mindful that we will always never have lived in the present moment before now…; the reality that we are always living on the edge of Time when…, in this undiscovered frontier…, what is next…, cannot be known.

We must not know…, and thank God…, it is so.

Right now…, I don’t know what I will be talking about in episode 12. Stil…l, be curious… Tune in anyway… There may very well be something else there for you.

Until then, visit my website, nowoclock.live. There you will find more original, positive, inspirational and thought-provoking content you can mind your mind with. Share what you find there and spread any idea you agree is worth spreading. There is something there, as there was here, for almost everyone. I hope there was for you.