Living to work, or working to live… that is the question.

Shakespeare said it best:

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep,
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to: ’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep;
To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub:

We find ourselves on a perpetual treadmill working extra hard to support the lifestyle that we have opted for. We engage ourselves in countless activities for large portions of our life that bring very little satisfaction and yet we stay focused on an imaginary goal that perhaps will never be reached.

I think the Dalai Lama was profound in these statements in the sense that the real secret is trying to find happiness in the moment. Joy in the little things. Contentment in the course of the present experiences and circumstances.

All of our dreams and our aspirations propel us at exponential rates into the future, but along the way, in the course of these long-term pursuits, we potentially compromise so many variables of our existence including our health. COVID-19 has made that exponentially more real.

I would have to believe that the true solution is finding harmony in the now. Being awake and fully present with the people who matter most and sharing your gifts, your love, your knowledge and your compassion with those who need it most.

Otherwise, I’m afraid we walk a treadmill through life on a one-way journey to the exit. Perhaps today’s message is a wake up call to remind all of us to treasure so many of the little things that we take for granted and to make those around us whom we care about, know that we are thinking of them. Happy Thursday!😊

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Written by Brian Weiner
When I was 5 years old, I discovered that the lemon tree in the backyard + dixie cups + water and sugar and I was in business. I have been hooked on that ever since. In 1979, I borrowed $14,000 to create a brand new product... photographic greeting cards with no text on the inside, called Paradise Photography. That was the start of The Illusion Factory. Since then, The Illusion Factory has been entrusted by all of the major studios and broadcasters with the advertising and marketing of over $7 billion in filmed, live, broadcast, gaming, AR, VR and regulated gaming forms of entertainment, generating more than $100 Billion in revenue and 265 awards for creativity and technology for our clients. When I took a break from film school at UCLA to move to Hawaii, my mother did not lecture me. Instead, she took 150 of her favorite aphorisms and in her beautiful calligraphy, wrote them artistically throughout a blank journal. That is the origin of the Lessons from the Mountain series. Since then, on my journeys to the top of a mountain to watch the sunrise, I have spent countless hours contemplating words of wisdom from the sages of all races, genders and political persuasions, constantly accumulating the thoughts to guide me on my life path. I hope you enjoy my books. Please let me know your thoughts, as I highly value your feedback!