"Just for Today"
Venetia, Italy, 2007
I have the choice!
1. Just for today I will try to live through this day only, and not tackle my whole life problem all
at once. I can do something for twelve hours that would appall me if I felt taht I had to keep it up for a lifetime
2. Just for today I will try to be happy by telling myself, that my happiness does not depend on what others
say or do and on what happens around me. Happiness comes, when I live in peace with myself.
3. Just for today I will try to adjust myself to what is - not force everything going my way. I will accept
my family, my friends, my work and my living circumstances as it comes.
4. Just for today I will take care about my physical health, I will strenthen my mind, I will study and learn
something useful. I will read something that requires effort, thought, concentration and spirituality.
5. Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out;
if anybody knows of it, it will not count.
6. Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress becomingly, talk low, act courteously,
criticize not one bit, not find fault with anything, and not try to improve or regulate anybody except myself.
7. Just for today I will have a programme. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it.
I will save myself from two pests: hurry and indecision.
8. Just for today I will stop saying "If I had time". I will "find time" for something;
if I want to have time, I must take it.
9. Just for today I will have a quiet half hour all by myself, and relax. During this half hour,
sometime, I will try to get a better perspective on my life. I will relax and search for truth.
10. Just for today I will be unafraid. I will enjoy that which is beautiful, and will believe that as I give
to the world, so the world will give to me. I will not be afraid of being happy.
11. Just for today I will accept myself and live up to my best.
12. Just for today I decide to believe that I can live with this for one day.
I have the choice!
Chiemsee - Lake Chiemsee Bavaria - from above
"Autobiography in five chapters" from "The book of living and of dieing" by Sogyal Rinpoche
"Live": How difficult it is to focus mindfulness inside! How easy we are ruled by old habits and patterns of behaviour! Even though they bring unhappiness for us, we accept them with almost fanatic resignation, because we´re so used to giving in to them. We idealize freedom, but are slaves to our habits. But reflection can slowly bring us to wisdom. We can learn to realise how we keep stuck with rigid, repeating patterns of behaviour and we can begin to long for a solution. Of course it can happen, that we keep falling back into old habits again and again, but we can also let go of them slowly and we can change. The following text is for all of us. It´s title is "Autobiography in five chapters":
1.
I am walking down a street.
There is a deep hole in the walkway.
I fall into it.
I am lost ... I am without hope.
It is not my fault.
It takes ages to get out again.
2.
I am walking down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the walkway.
I pretend not to see it.
I fall into it again.
I cannot believe, I am in the same place again.
But it is not my fault.
It still takes quite long to get out againg.
3.
I am walking down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the walkway.
I see it.
I still fall into it ... out of habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my own fault.
I am able to get out straight away again.
4.
I am walking down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the walkway.
I walk around it.
5.
I am walking down a different street.