The Present- by Spencer Johnson
This is one of ma beloved books and authors!!!!! Whenever i’m sad, this is the first thing i have in mind!!!!! Here, i’ve extracted some of the points that i like the most!!! Hope it can be useful for you when u’re sad too!!!!! but you better read the whole book to fully absorb the message!!!!
Enjoy your reading!!!!
(p18)
You told me earlier that when you receive the present, you enjoy your life more. The present leads you to many kinds of riches. But it’s value is not measured in gold or money alone.
- What does being success mean?
- It means getting more of what you NEED, the old man said, whatever you think is important.
- So I get to decide what success is for me?
- Yes, we all do. The old man said, and we change what we think success is a different times in our lives.
- What is it for you?
- The old man laughed: At this phase of my life, it means laughing more often, loving more deeply, and being of greater service!
- And you say the PRESENT helps you do all of this?
- Absolutely! The old man exclaimed.
- Well, I’ve never heard anyone else talk about such a Present. I am beginning to think it doesn’t exist.
- The old man replied: Oh, it exists. But I’m afraid you don’t understand.
(P30)
When you are fully engaged in what you are doing, your mind doesn’t wander. You enjoy life. And you are happier and more effective. You are intent only on what is happening at that moment. And that focus and concentration leads you to your success.
He realized he had not felt that way for a long time-about work or anything else. He spent too much time being upset about the past or worried about the future.
He simply appreciated where he was, and what he was doing.
In a rush, it hit him. OF course!
The Present was…..what it had always been; that it is right now.
(P31)
The Present
is Not the past and
It is not the future.
The present is
The Present moment!
The Present is
Right now!
(P32)
He was now aware of so many things that had been right in front of him all along, but he had not seen or felt them before.
Now he felt more peaceful and happier than he had in a long itme. He didn’t feel like a failure. The more the young man thought about the present, the more sense it made.
Being in the Present means focusing on what is happening right now! It means appreciating the gifts you are offered each day.
It occurred to him that whenever he was in the PRESENT, he was more aware and focused on whatever he was doing. He was more like the masonry who had built the great stone fire.
Now he realized what the old man had been trying to tell him since he was a boy.
(P40)
“When you are in the PRESENT and focus what is important to you today, you make wonderful discoveries of your own”
Focus on what is happening at the moment. Appreciate what is right about the situation and build on it. Pay attention to what is important now.
(P50)
- I work hard at staying in the present, and I can already see the good it has done me. But it seems as if it’s not enough.
- The old man asked the young man to tell him about the problem and then said, “So, you reacted to the other person’s lack of support by shouldering the burden, rather than addressing the problem.”
It is hard to
let go of the Past
If you have not LEARNED
From the past
As soon as you
Learn and Let go,
You improve The Present
Today
You cannot Change the Past,
But you can learn from it.
When the same situation Arises,
You can do things differently
And become Happier and
More Effective and Successful
Today
The 3 Steps:
Be in the Present
Learn from the Past
Help Create the Future
If you are not in the present, you will not be aware of what it going on.
If you have not learned from the past, you are not ready to create the future.
And if you have no plan for the Future, you are adrift.
He was now able to stay in the present more often, focusing on what was right now, and paying attention to what was important, today.
And he found it extraordinarily helpful.
Whenever he concentrated fully on what he was doing, he was happier and he was certainly more effective and successful.
He used what he learnt from the past to improve the Present. He had not repeated as many previous mistakes.
He had discovered that helping to create the future in a positive way could often make the Future better.
The man closed his eyes and gently swung back and forth on the swing, focusing only on the Present. He felt peaceful.
Gradually, he began to sense the presence of the old man. It was as if the old man was sitting next to him on porch. He could almost hear the old man’s voice replaying their many conversations. Once again, he experienced the wisdom of the old man’s world, and felt the warmth of the old man’s compassion.
It is only when you work and live with Purpose and respond to what’s important about the Present, Past, and Future, that it all has meaning.
He understood that having a Purpose means not just knowing what to do, but WHY.
Being more successful means
Becoming More of Who you
Are capable of Being.
Each of Us Defines
For Ourselves
What it means
To be more Successful.
The present- Summary Page
last but not least!!!!!!!!!!! Always remember that…….
Life is a Journey with mission...// Make it worthwhile :) 