Mahatma Gandhi Tells How to Shape A Beautiful Future

Tuesday Quotes are short explorations of music, life, and the daily endeavor of practicing classical guitar. Find more here. Enjoy!

“The future depends on what we do in the present.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Looking back, time often seems short. A decade may feel like it passed in mere months. Memories appear as if from other lives.

And looking ahead, we may feel we have infinite time. Or we may feel like time is short.

But in fact, whether we look forward or back, we only have this moment. We create memories as images in our minds. And we have no guarantee of tomorrow.

Abrupt changes and ends are commonplace, though surprising – like solid ground when we fall.

When time feels short (in the day or the lifespan), we may be tempted to compromise on quality. We think that since we don’t have much time, it’s better to ignore training or “work” and just focus on what seems fun.

And this is valid, so long as a moment of diversion is the only goal. In the same way, junk food is fine if immediate gratification is the only concern.

But if we aspire to greater things, if we hold a higher vision for ourselves – what then?

Mahatma Gandhi also said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

For a musician, this means deliberate practice.

If we care about tomorrow, today’s practice matters. Even if it’s short. The focus and attention we bring to each moment will craft our abilities going forward.

Music is something we cultivate over time. We carve it from the stone of time like water etching canyons.

And as the sculptor of this future, we also get to enjoy the process. We can feel the daily satisfaction of intentional work. We can relish the knowledge that we’re releasing a masterpiece, as yet unearthed.