“Your Daily Dose” is a quick two minute read packed with bite-sized wisdom from all the great teachers. But you could also choose to turn it into something more… a powerful daily practice for personal growth. Give it a try!
A message from today’s meditation:
It’s Monday!
We’re at the start of a new week, let’s see what this week has in store for us…
Our teacher for this week is Alan Watts. He was an English writer, speaker, and self-styled “philosophical entertainer”, known for interpreting and popularizing Buddhist, Taoist, and Hindu philosophy for a Western audience. He wrote more than 25 books and articles on religion and philosophy, and his 1957 book “The Way of Zen,” was one of the first best selling books on Buddhism.
“Don’t hurry anything. Don’t worry about the future. Don’t worry about what progress you’re making. Just be entirely content to be aware of what is.” – Alan Watts
“The future is a concept, it doesn’t exist. There is no such thing as tomorrow. There never will be, because time is always now.” – Alan Watts
Hmmm…
How do we make sense of this?
How do we “plan for the future” if “the future doesn’t exist” …
I can only share with you how it works for me:
When I pull a pen and a piece of paper closer to write down some “goals” or an “intention” for the day, the week or “my future”, I am still being present. What my present moment activity then is, is to look into the future and create a picture, a map so to speak of what I’d like the future to be.
And then when I put down the pen and piece of paper, I remind myself that the map is not the actual territory. I can’t place my feet on the map, on the piece of paper. I can only place my feet right here in this present moment and the map – my goals – they are what help me decide where to place my attention in this present moment, where to focus and direct my energy right now.
I can plan for the future of course! But the future doesn’t actually exist, I can only apply my action right here, right now. And the action that I take this very moment, is what creates my next moment.
Some supporting thoughts from Alan Watts on how to create at our highest potential:
“By replacing fear of the unknown with curiosity, we open ourselves up to an infinite stream of possibility. We can let fear rule our lives or we can become childlike with curiosity, pushing our boundaries, leaping out of our comfort zones, and accepting what life puts before us.” – Alan Watts
“Life is not a problem to be solved. Life is an experience to be had.” – Alan Watts
“We thought of life by analogy with a journey, a pilgrimage, which had a serious purpose at the end, and the thing was to get to that end, success or whatever it is, maybe heaven after you’re dead. But we missed the point the whole way along. It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing or to dance while the music was being played.” – Alan Watts
“You must not be afraid of playing wrong notes. Just forget it, play it wrong! But play!” – Alan Watts
The future is not a thing that exists, NOW is the only existence we have. Yet the eternal present moment is always in motion, and we will meet an older version of ourselves year after year. The only way that we can take care of the older version of ourselves – who we will inevitably meet – IS by doing our best right now.
So of course we should do our best, but not do our best to get to some future finish line, because the song that rushes to its ending isn’t better… it’s incomplete… Let’s apply our best to participate in the invitation that life extends to us right now – the invitation to dance. The invitation to play at our hardest without fear of playing the “wrong” notes.
The surest way to guarantee that we never reach our full potential, is to not play at all, because we are scared of getting it “wrong”.
Step into your week with curiosity:
- Embrace the Imperfect: “I release my fear of wrong notes and trust myself to play fully in this moment.”
- Live in the Present: “I pour my attention into the opportunities that this moment makes available to me.”
- Play with Life: “Life is not a problem I must solve but an experience I get to have. I am dancing to life’s music, not racing to the final note.”
- Trust the Process: “I have faith that everything unfolds as it should, and that all I need to do, is do my best from moment to moment.”
Are you ready to unleash yourself upon this week with a spirit of curiosity and playfulness!? Let’s dance to the rhythm of life together.
Have a playful week peeps!
– pierre –
Today’s LIVE meditation is: Jumpstart the week!
Today’s LIVE meditation
https://youtu.be/vIDoI7w2htc 2025
https://youtu.be/et_MAcW98AM 2024
https://youtu.be/OSUnLCaZq_I 2023
https://youtu.be/mMxqudgCfng 2022
Practice the “Daily Dose”
Let’s put it into practice! Choose what works for you – daily, once a week or whenever inspiration strikes. Putting pen to paper wires the neural pathways that will create your new habits.
1 – Affirmation
Write down your favourite affirmation on a sticky note and place it somewhere that you’ll be able to see it the whole day.
- Embrace the Imperfect: “I release my fear of wrong notes and trust myself to play fully in this moment.”
- Live in the Present: “I pour my attention into the opportunities that this moment makes available to me.”
- Play with Life: “Life is not a problem I must solve but an experience I get to have. I am dancing to life’s music, not racing to the final note.”
- Trust the Process: “I have faith that everything unfolds as it should, and that all I need to do, is do my best from moment to moment.”
2 – A moment of reflection
Use today’s question as a journal prompt. If you don’t have the time to sit down and write, just take a moment to reflect on your response.
Playing The Wrong Notes: Write about a time you “played a wrong note”—made a mistake, failed, or did something imperfectly. Looking back, what did that experience teach you? How did it contribute to the music of your life in ways you couldn’t have predicted?
3 – Quotes to share
Send a quote to someone who needs it, or share them all on social media to spread the good vibes!
4 – Q&A for deeper learning
Read through the questions and answers and write down at least one “aha moment” that clicked for you.
Q1: If the future doesn’t exist, why should I bother setting goals at all?
A: Goals aren’t about creating the future—they’re about directing your present attention. Think of goals as a compass that helps you navigate the only moment you actually have: now. When you set a goal, you’re choosing where to focus your energy in this present moment. The goal itself is simply a tool for making better decisions today.
Q2: How can I plan responsibly for things like retirement or my children’s education if I only focus on the present?
A: Focusing on the present doesn’t mean ignoring practical responsibilities. Planning for retirement is a present-moment activity. You’re making decisions and taking actions right now—setting up accounts, making contributions, adjusting your budget. The wisdom is in recognizing that you can’t control the future outcome; you can only take your best action today. Do your planning fully present, then release attachment to how it must unfold.
Q3: Doesn’t this philosophy encourage recklessness or impulsive behavior?
A: Not at all. Being present means being fully aware and responsive to what is, including consequences. Impulsiveness often comes from not being present—acting from anxiety, fear, or distraction rather than clear awareness. True presence involves wisdom, not abandon. As Watts says, we should “be entirely content to be aware of what is,” which includes awareness of impact and responsibility.
Q4: What does “playing wrong notes” actually mean in practical life terms?
A: Playing wrong notes means accepting that mistakes, failures, and imperfection are part of the creative process of living. It means taking action even when you’re not sure you’ll get it right, speaking up even if your voice shakes, trying something new even if you might fail. The “wrong notes” are often where the most interesting music happens—they’re opportunities for growth, learning, and unexpected discovery.
Q5: How do I shift from fear to curiosity when I’m genuinely anxious about something?
A: Start by acknowledging the fear without judgment. Then gently ask curiosity-based questions: “I wonder what this situation might teach me?” or “What if there’s something interesting here I haven’t seen yet?” Curiosity doesn’t erase fear—it gives you another lens to look through. Practice small: approach one small uncertainty with curiosity today, and notice what changes in your experience.
Q6: If I’m “supposed to dance while the music plays,” what do I do when life feels heavy and dancing feels impossible?
A: Dancing doesn’t always mean joy—it means participation. Sometimes dancing looks like sitting with grief, moving through difficulty, or simply showing up. The invitation is to be fully present with whatever is, rather than constantly trying to skip to a “better” moment. Even in heaviness, you can choose presence over escape, engagement over numbness. That’s dancing too.
Q7: How do I know if I’m truly living in the present or just using it as an excuse to avoid planning?
A: Check your awareness. Are you fully conscious and engaged with what’s happening right now, or are you checked out and avoiding? True presence includes an honest assessment of what this moment requires. If planning is what’s needed, then planning becomes your present-moment practice. The difference is: Are you planning from fear and control, or from presence and wisdom? Are you then able to release the outcome and return to now, or do you stay anxiously attached to a future that doesn’t exist yet?