March 26, 2018
We are 25% of the way to 10,000$ given for clean water. As of this writing, 80 people will now have access to life sustaining clean water somewhere in the world. I will post links to videos of the well being built when that time comes. There are 5 days left in this donation cycle. Link to Donate
This week, world water day was celebrated. Awareness days are just that, raising awareness days. Be aware of water insecurity in our environment and worldwide.
Thank you to all who have donated, now the Article.
Present
Is it not interesting that as we age we lose sight of the present as we focus too much on the mistakes and failures of the past. We fear or anticipate the future too much. Watch a child between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old. They are the tiggers of the world. They are focused on the present, not worrying about the future like piglet or depressed about the past like eeyore.
In my Daily Stoic reading today, there was an excellent quote by Marcus Aurelius," were you to live three thousand years, or a countless multiple of that, keep in mind that no one ever loses a life other than the one that they are living and no one ever lives a life other than the one they are losing. The longest and the shortest life, then, amount to the same, for the present moment lasts the same for all and is all anyone possesses. No one can lose either the past or the future..."
As life becomes more complicated for kids with school work, ad nauseam testing, friendship challenges, sports and instrument struggles, we notice that they become less about the present moment and more about the past and the future. This is the recipe that leads to anxiety and depression. What they really need to know is that the words of Marcus Aurelius are real. Focus only on what you can do now. The next mile marker. The next test. The next good or bad moment with equal and unbiased love of the present moment.
This is not to be mistaken for avoiding goal setting. Set reasonable goals that are expansionary but never lose sight of the baby steps in the present that are needed to get there. This statement reminds me of a passage in my favorite book about leadership, Extreme Ownership. In the passage about training to be a Navy Seal, they discuss the qualities of a great leader. One of those qualities was being able to focus the group on the present task at hand only, knowing that there is a greater goal to come and only then shifting to the next task, repeating until the event is won. Worrying about previous losses or future potential victories does not help in the present.
Thus, as we watch our children age, we have a mandate to help them stay in the present moment. We can do this by modeling great behavior and giving daily counsel on present moment activity. One of the greatest ways to be present moment is to pray and meditate. I find that daily meditation goes a long way toward grounding your focus for the day. Leave random present moment quotes around their room and in their lunch box. Be different in your approach to their learning. Hug them often for we never know when the present is gone for good.
Live loud in the present,
Dr. Magryta
Extreme Ownership discussion in Business Insider
Post Script:
Recently, I had an experience that I love teaching to my kids and patients. I was hanging out in Hendersonville with my wife when we struck up a conversation with a lovely gentleman who was enjoying a solo breakfast. The conversation turned to leadership and youth and I blurted out that he needs to read Extreme Ownership. I sent him a copy on the spot and I received a phone call in a few days. What followed was nothing short of amazing. We conspired to start a project where his class of UNC Chapel Hill MBA students would help us work with western North Carolina summer camps to improve the education and access of youths in the teen years to understand these philosophies.
I tell my kids that you need to put yourself out there for the present moment based on your passions and see where it goes! You never know, you may meet a guy named Pat and start something great.
