In my youth & innocence I thought that this attitude was fatalistic & kept millions of religious people subjugated in dire conditions & poverty. In a way that is true, but I now realise that there is another way of looking at it. Whatever is happening in your life now, this minute, is a reality. You can't change it. It has already happened.
My young self was invincible. I could achieve anything I put my mind to. To some extent that was true, I did manage to achieve most of my goals by determination & hard work. There was a cost to not failing though. To me & to others. I now realise that I'm not sure what failure is.
Age makes us more accepting & frees us from a lot of things.
I know myself, my virtues & flaws. I accept the existance of good & evil in the world. I realise that there is much that I cannot control. I actually understand the value of difference. I realise that I am completely inconsequential, but do have an effect on others.
I don't feel I have to conform to social mores or belong to a tribe. I don't feel I have to do what someone else wants me to do - I would break the law in certain circumstances. I'm not afraid to voice my opinion, although I would try not to offend or hurt others. I'm not afraid of death, only the manner of dying. I've had an interesting life & am living the final chapter.
Now is important. We can't know the moment of our last breath. Whatever the circumstances of my life in this moment it will never come again so I should really live it. Sadly that includes a lot of wasted time & effort - watching too much TV for instance. Being distracted by unimportant tasks.
Overall my aim is to be as good as I can be. Life is a journey. What matters is the baggage you carry, the path you choose & how you interact with the people you meet & the circumstances you experience.
It's bloody hard to get it right - but maybe that's the point.
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