The Present is a Gift

One of my favorite quotes that I saw on my TikTok for your page this last week was, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift." It was said by one of the most philosophical men of our time.  The one and only Master Oogway, the one from Kung-Fu Panda.  Throughout Gatsby, it always seems like he's looking forward to building a perfect future based on his past.  For example, he dreams of getting back with Daisy as it used to be in the past.  But he fails to realize that times have changed, and it simply isn't that simple.  

When Nick brings this up to him Gatsby says, "Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can."  He tries to use his wealth and fortune to show off to Daisy, try and win her back, and do the past all over again fixing it this time.  But the issue when doing this is that he completely misses out on the present.  I mean for crying out loud this man doesn't even enjoy his own parties, which keep in mind are some of the biggest and most grand in the whole state. 

The Great Gatsby: The Wardrobe | Feather Factor

However, sometimes I feel a little bit like Gatsby, too.  Wanting to go back to the past and fix those mistakes to make my future as perfect as possible.  For example, in one of my baseball games last year, I would've swung at a pitch instead into the mit for strike 3.  Or what would have happened if I had spent an extra hour studying for that test.  However, that just can't be done.  But what we can do is learn from these mistakes and apply them to the present.  But Gatsby seems to still be stuck in the past trying to get back Daisy.  

This should serve as a lesson for all of us reading this.  Instead of worrying about fixing the past and how it's going to impact the future, we should take steps to create a more powerful present. 


past, present, future

Comments

  1. Ryan ChristensenOctober 13, 2024 at 11:38 AM

    I love the effort and formatting of the blog, the images correlate so well with the topics and it all is just visually pleasing. Content wise, i love the simple connection to a quote you might otherwise scroll by on TikTok but found a very clear connection to Gatsby's fascination with the past and even sometimes, your own.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jack WangOctober 13, 2024 at 8:53 PM

    Hi Avi! I love your examples as it made a connection with me. I also think thoughts like yours when reading and found the quote you started off with to be comical but also the truth. I could never imagine you saying "for crying out loud" and found that really funny.

    ReplyDelete

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