The present-- Gift or now?

There is a presentation of listening and speaking class tomorrow, all of us need to prepare a reflection of an audio book. I’ve spent two days for the preparation, and I want to share with you what I had learned from it today. The title of the audio book that I listened is “The Present”. It is an engaging story of a young man’s journey to adulthood, and his search for The Present, a mysterious and elusive gift he first hears about from a great old man. According to the old man, the present is “the best present a person can receive.” It is not a present that you can find under a tree in Christmas, nor something others buy for you. But it is the thing that everybody owned since they were little, and what they’ve forgotten when they grow up. So, what’s the present that we own but unaware of actually? The little boy couldn’t figure out but did not give up pursuing the precious present because it is like a real present that sounded so wonderful to him.Later, when the young boy becomes a young man, disillusioned with his work and his life, he returns to ask the old man, once again, to help him find The Present. The old man responds, “Only you have the power to find The Present for yourself.” The old man didn’t want to tell the young man directly what the present is but offer him some clues to find the answer itself. So the young man was frustrated but still embarks on a tireless search for this magical gift that holds the secret to his personal happiness and business success. After the young man has searched high and low and then given up his relentless pursuit; he relaxes and eventually discovers what the present is. To heartily concentrate on what’s going on in present is actually the present that we own since we were young. He was reminded by the old man that when he was young, he did help his neighbor to mow the lawn and got some money that are little but more satisfaction than he has compare to now. At that time he was just thinking about how was he going to mow the lawn, and enjoyed while doing the job.

I think this is an inspiring story that reminded all of us from our past. Humans do not stop pursuing things for future because they always want to make the best for themselves. Therefore, the insatiability has led us to neglect what is happened in present. In addition, we have lost the most origin of ourselves in this modern society that make us unconsciously put the present aside from us. In fact, focus on what will make us happier and more successful in our work and personal life is the best gift we can give ourselves.

Many of the people I have observed could have been even happier and more successful, in their careers and their lives, had they been given the gift of The Present? My brother recently joined in a game company as his internship in his technical school. Instead of studying he will need to spend most of his time working in a new environment. However, he didn’t easily get frustrated in his abundant work because he believes that he is doing what he is interested in. So I suppose he deserved the life he is running now. With plans, sometimes maybe out of schedule but he did use his time adequately. Truthfully, he is currently living with the present that some of us may have abandoned today.