By Pema Sherpa & Brendan Barca

Age-old wisdom for modern living. Each week you’ll get 1 quote, 1 reflection and 1 action to help you lead a calmer, clearer, and more conscious life.

4/3/24

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Being Here, Experiencing Now, & Living Every Act Fully

Quote:

“Live every act fully, as if it were your last.” – The Buddha

Reflection:

You’ve heard the expression, “live every day as if it were your last.” But if you actually did that, what would your days look like? Would you skip work? Head to the bar? Cram a million activities into your final fleeting hours?

A better, and more helpful, piece of advice comes in the form of today’s quote from The Buddha – “live every act fully, as if it were your last.” The Buddha’s instructing us not to do more, but to be more. Be there fully when you have breakfast with your family. Be there completely when you do the laundry. Be there for your commute. Be there for your work. Be present for every single person you come across.

By truly lying each act of our day we can experience life in its fullness, in its nowness — not caught up in our past or thinking about our future and missing the present in the process. But instead, being right here.

Action:

The next thing you do today, pretend it’s the last act you’ll ever commit. See how your perspective and your presence shifts. Then see if you can carry this attention to the rest of your day. You won’t be there fully in every act, but every time you can do it you’ll get a glimpse of the nowness that’s possible in every moment.

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