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Reality-Shifting Quotes From Alan Watts That Changed The Way I Live
Make life a flow experience.
The path to everything starts inward.
He who awakes truly lives.
I live by the principles, lessons and teachings of a few great thinkers. Alan Watts’ wisdom has redefined my reality on conscious living. Watts was “one of the first to interpret Eastern wisdom for a Western audience.”
He makes a good argument for “being in the flow,” “simply being,” or “getting in touch with reality.” Here are a few of his quotes that upgraded my lens on living a meaningful life.
Hope they can shift yours too.
“We are living in a culture entirely hypnotised by the illusion of time, in which the so-called present moment is felt as nothing but an infinitesimal hairline between a causative past and an absorbingly important future. We have no present. Our consciousness is almost completely preoccupied with memory and expectation. We do not realise that there never was, is, nor will be any other experience than present experience. We are therefore out of touch with reality.”
The mind rarely stays in the now. It disconnects us from reality. You could get so used to it that the present feels insignificant.
You probably understand this feeling. You replay past mistakes and anticipate future problems. You get so consumed that you miss your life in real-time.
The realisation of this simple truth can redefine our life trajectory. The present is all there is. There never was, is, or will be any other experience. The past is gone. The future is not here yet.
Only the present is real.
“We keep reactivating the past in the hope that History will guide us to where we should go; but this is like driving a car with your eyes glued to the rearview mirror.” — Alan Watts
Conscious living reduces stress. It stops you from dwelling on the past. It prevents you from worrying about the future. It guarantees inner peace.
If you can make it a habit, you will feel more connected and experience more joy. Memory and expectations are out of reality. Only the present exists. Live in it. You will feel more alive.
