Victory over our own lower nature is now or never. We can't end conflict later. We can't stop being sad, cruel, angry, scared, or anxious later. Thinking, or hoping, that any destination we have in mind is going to be superior to where we're presently standing is exactly why we're still standing in that same place where we have to hope that some tomorrow will be better.
Later does not exist in reality.
Only to the lower nature does the concept of "later" have any merit. This self-created, false concept of time allows it to create yet another you in another time when, according to its prophecy, you'll be a wiser, stronger, and generally superior individual. But your higher nature knows for you to experience the miracle of real inner transformation, to step up to a superior life level, you must no longer think in terms of how you'll be "next time." It understands, as we must, that a change in nature is immediate; it is now, or it won't be at all.
And so it's imperative to meet each moment of your life with this realization: it's only what you do right now that is the seed of change. And in the endless beauty and mystery of what is the now, this same seed of change is also the seed of a New Self. Here's why this is true: If you choose to change right now, then you won't have to worry about how to be different next time!
In fact, choose to change now, and that moment will never come for you to worry about how to be better next time. Your conscious choice for real change in the present moment automatically cancels the need for a better you in a better future. All will be better for you now… which is the only time it really matters!
Make it your moment-to-moment practice to stay awake, and to watch for all the opportunities that your own now presents. Keep your efforts personal, practical, and to the point. If your inner work doesn't transform the whole of your life into a more relaxed, amazing, and uplifting experience, then you're dreaming, not changing.
Your awareness of the power of now can transform each challenging life moment into a new and true beginning for you. Learning how to use these moments leads to real inner change, which is the same as being in command of your own destiny.
Excerpted from Freedom From the Ties that Bind by Guy Finley, Llewellyn Publications.
Guy Finley is an internationally renowned spiritual teacher and bestselling self-help author. He is the Founder and Director of Life of Learning Foundation, a nonprofit center for transcendent self-study located in Merlin, Oregon. He also hosts the Foundation’s Wisdom School — an on-line self-discovery program for seekers of higher self-knowledge. Guy offers 2 talks on GoToWebinar, open to the public every week. Each talk is followed by a Question-and-Answer session with the audience. These talks are free to anyone who wants to join in. To register visit www.guyfinley.org/online