10/15/20
Just the other night, as I was watching the animated adventure comedy film *The Croods*,I got particularly captivated by a specific scene.
“The Croods” is the story of an overprotective caveman Grug who, along with his family, is one of the few survivors in the hostile pre-historic times.
“Never not be afraid” is Grug’s repeated advice to his family, and especially to his curious daughter Eep.
For Grug, anything new, anything that raises curiosity, is bad. And this is good advice as it has helped his family survive against the predators.
But then things change when Grug and his family meet a clever and inventive caveboy named Guy, who tells them that the world is reaching its end, and asks them to join him in the pursuit of survival.
To the unrelenting Grug, who disbelieves Guy and his plan of survival, Guy tells a story of his own about a paradise he nicknames “Tomorrow”, and how they all can ride the Sun to this paradise.
Here is that part of the movie when Guy narrates his story –
Guy: Once upon a time, there was a beautiful tiger. She was in a cave with the rest of her family. Her father mother told her you may go anywhere you want, but never go near the cliff, for you could fall…
Grug: And die!
Guy: But when no one was looking, she goes near the cliff. And the closer she comes to the edge, the more she could hear, the more she could see, the more she could feel.
Then, she stood at the very edge. And she saw light. She leaned out to touch it, and she slipped…
Grug: And she fell!
Guy: And she flew!
Grug’s Son: Where did she fly?
Guy: Tomorrow.
Grug’s Daughter: Tomorrow?
Guy: A place where there are more suns in the sky than you can count. A place not like today, or yesterday. A place where things are better.
Grug: Huh! Tomorrow isn’t a place! You cannot see it!
Guy: Oh yes, yes it is! I’ve seen it. That’s where I’m going.
‘Tomorrow’ is Where I’m Going.
We all have heard and experienced endless stories of the dangers of being curious and not being afraid.
We have also seen a lot of our friends brought up in a culture where they were constantly reminded about the dangers of standing up, standing out, and making a ruckus.
However, settling for the status quo is living for something less than God desires for us.
It’s not the way you make your dreams come true.
As Guy reminds us in his story, “it’s only when I go near to the cliff, closer to the edge, I can hear more, see more, and feel more.”
It’s only then that I can see the light, try to touch it, slip, fly, and ride the Sun to Tomorrow.
“Tomorrow isn’t a place!” Grug tells Guy on hearing his story. “You can’t see it!”
To this, Guy replies, “Oh yes, it is! I’ve seen it. That’s where I’m going.”
The crux here is that we all have the potential to do great work in life. However to do so, we need to leave our comfort zones – and dare to take the risk of flying to Tomorrow.
This requires facing up to the pain involved in the process, and being open to possible failure and criticism.
Start Preparing for Tomorrow
We often blame our past and worry about our future.
The fact is that – and you also know this – life is in living NOW. It’s all about the…
Things we learn now;
Choices we make now;
Habits we form now;
Actions we take now; and
Enlightenment we receive now.
Regretting about the past – “If only I could’ve started earlier!” or
“If only I had not made that mistake!” – is like wasting time and energy on the impossible. And worrying about the future – the Tomorrow – is like having no belief in your capabilities.
If you can live in the present, connect with it, accept it, and experience the joy of flying in the NOW, you would surely head towards a brighter ‘Tomorrow.’
In fact, the best possible way to prepare for Tomorrow is to concentrate with all your intelligence, all your enthusiasm, on doing today’s work superbly today, this is also how you prepare for Tomorrow.
As Stephen Covey writes as his second habit of highly effective people – *Begin with the end in mind*.
This too shall pass,
Well, that’s where you should also begin – End…Tomorrow. Then work backward and stay blessed forever.