The only time we regret our action is when it’s not yielding the result we want in the long run.
My friend had birthday some days ago. After celebrating his birthday, we thought of eating cakes. There was a store nearby which offered 40% discount after 8 PM. It was already 9:30 PM when we were about to leave. So we thought of entering there.
We ordered the discounted cake, and had to regret instantly. It was stale. We ate it regardless because we had ordered it.
I should have stopped eating, but I didn’t. I knew it was stale and not fit for eating, but still, I ate it.
And that’s where I have a problem.
- Why did I eat the cake knowing that it’ll harm my body?
- Is my craving for the cake bigger than my health?
- Why did I look out for short term satisfaction instead of thinking for the long run?
I wanted to punch myself when I couldn’t sleep at night. I just had an strong urge to puke. How stupid could I be for eating it?
And that’s where we are. You. Me. Everybody.
We all look out for short term satisfaction, ignoring the well being of our future self. It’s not just on food, it’s on everything. From new products, to cravings, to relationships, to businesses, etc.
During an interview the Dalai Lama was asked what surprises him the most, his response was quite mind altering.
“Man surprised me most about humanity. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
The underlying message is simple: stop craving short term satisfaction!
You see, the irony is that if we enjoy the present, we’re not thinking about the future and if we think of the future, we cannot enjoy the present to the fullest.
Tell me what you think. 🙂
That’s exactly what I thought some time ago, and it’s the bitter truth!
I think we need to find middle ground for us to settle. Not thinking too much of the future that we destroy the present moment.
Not going to either of the extremes, and instead, finding the middle ground and moving from there.
But if you need to choose one, I’d choose the present.