Now is Now

Photo by Susiebloom

I felt "now" for about 5 seconds during my stretches and meditation this morning before my mind wandered over to my "To Do" list. I pulled back to "now", tuning into Isochronic tones streaming from my phone next to my yoga mat. Mmmm...soothing, peaceful...for about 10 more seconds until my mind drifted away again. Out of the 10 minutes I was on the floor I was fully present for about 2, off and on, at best. I hope one day to be in the "now" much more often. I love how I feel when I'm in the "now".

"Next time is next time, and now is now." That is my favorite line from Wenders's enchanting 2023 film, Perfect Days. The main character, Hirayama, is a creature of habit and routine and he absolutely embraces his life and is completely satisfied with his days. He wouldn't change a thing. His calm contentment is admirable, even enviable. Wenders says of his protagonist, "When Hirayama opens his eyes, he's happy that this new day starts...He's not suffering from having to go through his routine." Wenders further explains, "The potter's secret is doing it for the first time each time, and for our man, Hirayama, it's the same. Each day, he's doing it for the first time. And he's not thinking how he did it yesterday, and not thinking how he will do it tomorrow. He's always doing it in the moment...And that's what gives a whole different dignity to any repetition." It's similar to the Buddhist philosophy I touched on in Episode #86 "Chop Wood, Carry Water," of my Blooming Together podcast. We can practice such mindfulness that even the most mundane tasks of life can become a sort of meditation and joy with gratitude and intention. Wenders even thinks of Hirayama as "a kind of secular monk."

The article, "Now is Now - the philosophy of Wim Wenders's 'Perfect Days'", by Mitch Whitehead offers some wonderful insights about the philosophy behind this beautiful film. He notes, "The Taoists were often keen to emphasize that we don't need to ascend to lofty heights to understand the way but that it's everywhere. All around us. We only need to look." He further describes that Hirayama's mode of living "seems to be at the center of his contentment. It would be wrong...to call him happy - not that he is unhappy - but more that it doesn't seem to be happiness, as we might ordinarily think of it, that defines his daily life. Instead, we see contentment, a well-ordering of one's life, a sense of acceptance, fulfilment, and the deriving of meaning from purposeful work. Part of this contentment seems to be grounded in Hirayama's sense of simplicity." He lives simply, by choice. In fact, Whitehead explains that, "throughout the whole film, there is a sense, unspoken but present, that Hirayama's life is a choice and that much may have been given up for that life to be possible...his life is marked as much by what he does and what he has, as it is by what he doesn't do and doesn't have." I think that's remarkable.

Wenders wants us to feel drawn to this man and his life. Personally, I think he succeeded because I sure am. He determines, "I had to tell [the story] in a language that would evaluate his everyday life and make his everyday life look as beautiful as I wanted it to look. I think most everyday routines of people in movies are not nice, and I wanted his everyday routine to be gorgeous. I wanted you to wanna live like this." Well, I definitely do! I'm pretty sure. ;D

Living intentionally, fully engaged in each moment requires practice, especially in our fast paced, over stimulating world full of unlimited distractions. But the payoff for our intentional efforts is a more fulfilling life of joy, purpose, contentment, and peace. Who doesn't want that?

We can learn this. Intentional living is a skill we can cultivate. It is a way of life that we can adopt if we choose to. "Shape Your Days, Shape Your Life", (Episode #23). What we do matters. "Minutes and hours well spent are the building blocks of a life well lived," Dieter F. Uchtdorf thoughtfully encourages. And John C. Maxwell reminds us that, "An unintentional life accepts everything and does nothing. An intentional life embraces only the things that will add to the mission of significance...When you get right down to it, intentional living is about living your best story."

Hirayama is living his best story and we can, too. We can put forth deliberate, purposeful effort to make the most of our days and moments here on earth. One important way we can get started doing this is to identify our "Core Motivators" (Episode #21) through honest self reflection. Identify those values, needs, and passions that drive our behavior and actions. As we take the time to figure out what truly makes us tick, so to speak, we can more intentionally engage in every aspect of our lives, enjoying it to the fullest simply because we can and we better understand the value in it. "Now is Now" (Episode #87). Live in it.

Let's find beauty in every day, joy and fulfillment in purposeful work, peace and contentment in acceptance and simplicity, and, like the potter and Hirayama, do things for the first time every time...and keep blooming.

We're in this together,