Life lessons from an hourglass.

The hourglass has stood up well against the sands of time. Dating from the 1300's, what is it that has led to the longevity of this piece of manufactured marvel? Is there anything to be learned from a gadget nearly 700 years old.

Imagine the person who told his boss that they could keep track of time by watching sand fall through a crack. In today's world of advanced technology, the idea sounds a bit simplistic. I'm guessing that nobody reading this, has in their possession a battery powered watch ready to run for the next 1000 years. There is something to say about keeping life simple.

The hourglass provides a glimpse of life in the simplest of terms. By watching the sand flow effortlessly from top to bottom, one can visually experience the 3 truths of time. Past, present, and future can be viewed simultaneously.

The first life lesson that came to mind as I stared wonderously at the beautifully symmetric timepiece was amazing. I came to the realization that the past disappears as the future becomes full of sand. Now many will say that the past becomes the future. I agree to a certain point about the past shaping our future, but for the past to directly control the future. I'm not buying that.

What is often left out, while discussing the past and future, is the present. The hourglass firmly represents the fact that there is indeed a small window of time between the past and the future. I am a firm believer that what happens in the present holds more bearing over the future, than what happens in the past. The Bloomsayer philosophy instills this thought as a way to bring about change.

Utilizing the theory that the past can disappear, is very empowering. There are often times in life, when keeping a hold on the past may become detrimental to the future. Remember what you ate for breakfast? Sure you do. I'm sure you cannot remember what you ate for breakfast a decade ago, on this day. The mind only keeps track of important historical events. The key to creating a present that is beneficial to the future is by treating the negative events of your past as breakfast.

The next powerful lesson came as I thought about my past. I felt enlightened to gain an understanding, that the future was coming. There is no stopping the future from arriving. Being ready for the future is where we experience problems. Often it is due to living in the past instead of the present. Since we figured out that dilemna, how else can we prepare for the future. The Bloomsayer philosophy promotes taking control of life's small details as they occur. By creating a strong beginning in the present, we provide a strong base for the future to be built upon.

Many philosophies for personal development teach us to set a goal or end point, and to live each day trying to reach that end. I'm guessing if you haven't found the watch that runs for 1000 years, you haven't found the crystal ball either. I'm all for goals, but likewise I cannot control certain events that may happen two weeks from now. I can however control my actions right now. By making the correct choices in life as they happen, two weeks from now I will know without a doubt that the future has occured from the choices I made during the present.

Quitting smoking is a severe undertaking. Programs tell smokers to pick a date and stick to it. If the system worked nobody would ever fail an attempt to quit smoking. By setting a time in the future, many smokers are setting themselves up for failure. When the date comes and goes, many smokers end up feeling worse about not reaching a goal than they do about smoking. Often it leads to an increased need in nicotine as a comforting way to deal with failure. I say why not start today, without thinking about yesterday or tomorrow. The present is very powerful. When one can run many days of correct decisions together, they turn into correct weeks, months, and years.

There is one more lesson that fits well with the Bloomsayer philosophy. The future fills up just as quick as the past is forgotten. When negative issues from the past are let go, the future becomes full and bright. Living for now to create a successful future will help anyone, make better choices as they present themselves. Just remember, as fast as the future fills up, it becomes the past with the same quickness. Start today and live a better now, there may be no tomorrow. And last but not least, keep your choices simple. Complexity leads to confusion, which in turn hampers the ability to achieve a better way of life.
God Bless and Good Luck