Thoughts of a Mad Man

The Blacksmith Reforging Ruined Work

"When thinking about life remember this: no amount of guilt can solve the past and no amount of anxiety can change the future." How much time do you spend thinking about the past: if only, what might have been, if I had just made one different decision how different would my life be now? Or how much time do you spend worrying about the future and things that haven't and may not even happen yet? The quote was a great reminder that both of those actions take away from the joy of today.





I have spent a great deal of time thinking about the past, about errors and contingencies. Sometimes that actually feels good, because thinking about completed situations is easier and therefore, more fruitful. Of course, it would be nice if I could actually test out my solutions and find resolution, but no situation is perfect. The thing that tempts me to ruminate on the past often stops me from adequately planning the future. Since I don't know the details, I find it difficult to speculate on actions I might take.





Of course, now I realize that this response does not touch upon the guilt or regret. I find that, like a blacksmith using tongs, I am able usually to dissociate myself from these and consider the things on another level. As a result, I can work with these things indefinitely. That's not to say that it's without its risks, of course. The blacksmith, who knows better than to burn his hands, may still flirt with dehydration. I have been known to allow the ambient radiation from my old errors to dry my soul, leaving me in a state of despair that goes almost unnoticed until it goes critical...