Living in the 'Now'

"What's next? It doesn't interest me. I only know that my instincts work flawlessly. So I breathe in and out and sense what's ahead for me. It's that simple."

- Yohji Yamamoto

I came across this quote by famed Japanese designer, Yohji Yamamoto, and it really caught my attention. I can relate so much to this way of thinking - living in the now and trusting your gut. It sounds so simple, doesn't it?? As always, so much easier said than done.

As you move through life, in all of its mysteriousness, you can't help but wonder: "why am I here?" or "what will I do next?". In a way, constantly questioning yourself keeps you challenged and pushes you through difficult times. And just when you reach satisfaction if your life, it seems something else pops up as soon as you put your feet up.

But Yohji is as wise as he is artistically gifted - he is on to something with this "trust your instincts" type of thinking. By worrying about what's next, you are going to miss what's going on right now. We must give ourselves more credit and trust that our potential will shine through even the toughest of times.

Everything happens for a reason - if you give it one.

Art vs. Science: Living life to the fullest

It is a well-known fact that our brain functions bilaterally: the left-side controls things like logic, analysis, rationality, and objectiveness; where as the right-side operates more randomly using intuition and holistic outlooks. Most individuals have a preference for one of these ways of thinking and thus are said to be either "right-brained" or "left-brained". I know I can think of many people who are lop-sided when it comes to their outlook on life (myself being one of them). But to be successful in life, you cannot be either, or--you must find that delicate balance between the two, and therefore between science and art.

If we over-analyze the tiny details, we would never see the bigger picture. Sweating the small-stuff prevents you from moving forward and reaching that end goal. Conversely, if we only see the whole and don't take the time to look at the individual parts, we would miss those important elements that hold us back from true greatness.

This painting by Salvatore Dali challenges the way we think: Do you see what I see?

One thing that both sides of the brain have in common is growth through experience--that is, by going through the ups and downs of life and getting out there to experience all that it has to offer, you will gain strength through knowledge. We all have the ability to be true "renaissance" people, but it is our own responsibility to reach our fullest potential. In order to do this, we have to force ourselves to constantly think openly and not fall into old patterns.

Dr. Suess said it best:

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You."