As of now, I’m in the middle of rereading Meditations for the sixth time. And every time, I find something new. Whether it’s a quote that didn’t apply to my life before and just happened to go over my head, or a lesson that I finally understand, I always read it with new eyes.

While it might not be the same, there are a lot of aspects of our lives that we miss. Just like with Meditations, you might walk past something you just didn’t need, so you don’t notice it. Or maybe you’re simply rushing through life without appreciating everything around you.

This dilemma we face reminds me of a Japanese story about a monk who tried to do everything. Or at least, wanted to do everything.

There was once a monk in training who lived at a hillside temple. Every day, he trained in meditation, writing, emotional control, and gardening.

But he wanted to learn it all. And quickly.

The other monks would always see him rushing from one task to the next. One moment they would see him sweeping the courtyard with incredible speed. The next, running inside to pray and eat. All while holding books about being present.

One morning, his teacher stopped him and asked, “Where are you going?”

The monk replied, “To finish my chores. I must tend to the temple’s garden.”

The teacher simply pointed toward a cherry tree nearby and asked, “And when will you finish seeing that?”

The monk looked over and saw that the tree was blooming. Pink petals were falling softly in the wind. He had passed it every day for a week and never noticed it until now. From the looks of it, it’d only be in bloom for a few more days.

The teacher said, “You are not late because you move slowly. You are late because you arrive nowhere.”

It sounds philosophical. But really what the teacher is trying to say is that you might get your tasks done, but you never truly ‘arrive’ in the present moment.

Rushing won’t always get you somewhere. Sometimes, it just keeps you from noticing where you already are.

So take a moment and look around. You might realize there’s a lot more to life than what’s at the finish line.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I’m still in the middle of rereading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. A philosophical oriented guide to life written by one of the greatest Emperors of Rome.

Quote Of The Week - “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” — Joseph Campbell