Went to see Jerry Seinfeld the other night in NYC…
When he came out on stage, he began the show with,
“Well… Here we are. We are OUT.”
He then congratulated all of us for making it through all of the steps in the arduous process of “going out.”
We bought the tickets, we got sitters, we picked out our outfits, most of us showered, met up with company we may or may not actually like, arranged transportation, waited in line, grabbed a cocktail, and finally took our seats…
“THIS IS OUT.”
Jerry then went into a hilarious rant about how when we finally arrive to whatever destination we we’re voyaging to, all we can think about is WHAT’S NEXT…
As funny as the bit was, and it was hysterical, I couldn’t help but think how incredibly SAD that truth actually is. In life, we become so consumed with reflections of the past and anticipations of the future that we hardly ever EMBRACE THE ACTUAL MOMENT.
Damn… Truth speaks doesn’t it.
Ok… So what can we do about it?
There is nothing wrong with reflecting on the past or planning for the future, but the most successful people that I know in my life are the ones who figure out a way to get the most out of the NOW.
When searching for a title for The F*IT List – Life Lessons From A Human Crash Test Dummy, we went over nearly 100 different title options…
“What’s Next” was the original front runner because we felt that in a lot of ways it represented the way I have lived my life, as well as the absolute best way for all of us to respond to life experiences, good, bad and ugly…
Regardless of past successes or failures, in order to keep LIVIN, we must continue to CHARGE ON…
Then, shortly before the release of the book, I had an amazing epiphany…
Life isn’t about What’s Next… Life is about WHAT’S NOW.
Holy sh*t balls… I needed to change the title.
Eventually, “The F*IT List” edged out “What’s Now,” but ever since then, whenever I have found my ADHD ass thinking about what’s next, I feel the air pass through my nostrils, slap myself in the face and focus all of my attention on what is taking place in the actual moment.
The PRESENT is truly the only gift that keeps on giving in our life. It’s up to us on a moment by moment basis whether or not we decide to unwrap it…
-EB