The Two Master Lessons of Life

In my humble opinion there are only two lessons in life we as a species need to master. As far as I’m concerned all else is an illusion. I too get caught up in the illusions frequently which is not a bad thing.

When I get caught up in the illusion, and I awaken to the fact that I’m getting caught in it, I am then able to then go back and focus on the two master lessons. It’s like practising in real life.

The first master lesson: Power of Choice or Decision.

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” – Viktor Frankl.

Learning this lesson has so far been the greatest lesson of all for me. There is no greater power in life than understanding that I have the power to choose how I respond to everything that comes along in my life. At times it might seem like reaction is the stronger of the two forces and that you don’t actually have a choice. Reaction is conditioning and when you acknowledge that it is you can begin to change it if you choose to do so. I wish I could say I was an A* student at it but it’s a subject that I love studying and so I’m hoping that one day I attain my masters degree in it! 😆

The second master lesson: Being Present in this Moment

“Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be” – Eckhart Tolle

How often have you let your past or future dominate the person you are? You are not your past and you are not what happens to you in the future. You are on the outside who you choose to be in this moment but you are, ultimately, this moment. If you don’t learn to live in the present you’ll constantly find yourself at battle with your memories and future hopes/dreams/fears.

The experience of being in this present moment is one that we’ve all had and you’ll know when you’ve had it because time flew by quicker than normal. Being in this moment alters our perception of time. When you are focussed on now and understand that it is all that really matters suddenly your experience of life totally changes. If you can be doing any task and be totally present with it you’ll feel a true sense of fulfilment and enjoyment.

If anyone out there can tell me a better way to live my life then I’m more than happy to listen! As it stands I haven’t found a better way then putting these two master lessons to good use in everything I do.