Even when they read it...they don't get it.
It doesn't register.
It's very sad…
Maybe from lack of explanations. Maybe people just can't grasp what it means. Perhaps because they are so wrapped up in other things they can't see the trees through the forest.
Or, maybe the concept is too big, too metaphysical to wrap their head around.
It is always amazing when people read or hear these 3 simple words.
You see them read. You see them hear. Then, you see a perplexed look befall their face. A moment of silence. Then it happens. They turn and begin to utter the infamous words,
"What the F@#K is LiFE is NOW...?".
What does it mean? What is the concept?
The whole concept that they are missing, is exactly the concept they are missing.
It is so very present and so directly in front of them, they are blinded by it.
Let’s take it one word at a time. Break it down and perhaps it will slow it enough to help bring the whole concept into focus.
LiFE: We must know what this is or what it's composed of.
Right?
Maybe not.
Maybe that's the reason.
Maybe people are unsure of what their LiFE is.
Maybe the details of everyday life are so distracting they've lost sight of their actual LiFE.
Let’s look at how the “dictionary” defines it.
as in duration
the period during which something exists, lasts, or is in progress
Pretty straight forward here. We have birthdays each year and an age that tells us where we are on the timeline of LiFE. Warning: We have no idea how long this will last.
as in person
a member of the human race
Something we strive to remember every day. No matter the look or the religion we are all human and all cut from the same cloth. Let’s act that way.
as in lifestyle
the way people live at a particular time and place
This is where we hope to get our point across; as this is all encompassing. We coined a phrase years ago which we called a “LiFEstyle” and it was simply living a life aware and alive and making a way of “life” shall we say.
as in energy
active strength of body or mind
As beings we breathe life and extrude energy from and into the world around us. Shouldn’t this be positive?
as in biography
a history of a person's life
As noted above we have no idea when our “duration” will run out but regardless of this point we should strive to live our best “biography”. We may not be able to look back upon our life in judgment as to how we did but wouldn’t it be nice to know that the world was a better place because we existed in it.
IS: A state of being. A state presently. Not was. Not when. But, present... Is.
NOW: Not tomorrow. Not yesterday. Today. Now. Present.
So, wrapping this all into one single concept in the hope of getting our point across it seems to look something like this.
A member of the human race, with active mind and body, living a duration of unknown quantity at a particular time and place in a state of being doing it not tomorrow, not yesterday, but today, NOW, present.
That seems to clear things up. Don’t you think?
Ok, ok. Maybe too much.
But, it seems “is” and “NOW” are pretty well understood so maybe it’s “LiFE” that makes the concept intangible. Let’s swap out LiFE for “Pizza”.
We’re fairly certain no one would have any clarification questions on this statement (well, maybe. “Where”?!).
But, “pizza” is pretty straightforward and tangible. It doesn’t have any ethereal or abstract connotations, or multiple definitions and interpretations that “life” does. So, maybe, just maybe it’s LiFE that people just can’t grab.
Or, maybe it’s the fact we’re telling them something they think they already know.
But do they really already know? Sure, waking up everyday, going to work and hanging out with family and friends would be considered a life. But do they recognize it? Do they see it? Do they actively immerse in it and are they actually aware of it as it is happening? Or are they on autopilot?
We are simply trying to get people to take an active role in seeing their life and being in their life rather than being a passenger on someone else’s subway train. We’re here to help get anyone into the LiFEstyle frame of mind.
So, LiFE is NOW… 3 simple words, individually understood. Combined, not grasped by many, comprehended by some and hoping to be adopted by more.
LiFE is NOW… filter out the unimportant and see the trees in the forest.