‘Yesterday is History, Tomorrow a Mystery, Today is a Gift’
Is anyone else like me? I constantly find myself thinking of things that were, and things that will be ..
What about right now, though? Like right now. This very second. This moment will become ‘the past’ in a second. A microsecond, even. This very moment was also considered to be ‘the future’ at every point in time before it actually happened. I think that its natural, and human nature to reflect on past times; good or bad. I mean, how can we not? Everything that has ever happened in our lives (especially meaningful, traumatic and positive things) are stored as memories that we go back to every now and then, most times without even thinking about it. Memories allow us to retain and recall past experiences, which is something that we need in order to help us make better choices about things that we’ve already gone through, learn ‘life lessons’ and never make the same mistake twice. Memories, good or bad, will always have some kind of purpose.
The future is something that no one can be completely sure about. The future is what comes after the present; its inevitable, since it is a rule associated with the existence of the concept ‘time.’ I think that thinking about the future, and even planning for the future is perfectly fine. However, being constantly preoccupied with the future to the point where we forget to live in the moment, and focus on and enjoy what currently ‘is’ draws us into some kind of a trap. Thinking too much about the past, and everything that has happened up until this point in time also draws us into that trap. The past, present and future are simply different points in any time period. ‘Life’ can only happen in the present. Yesterday existed, and is relevant, but only to a certain extent. Yesterday came and went, never to return. Nothing that happened yesterday can be changed; there is nothing that can be done to alter any of yesterday’s happenings. Similarly, the future is something that we should be aware of and anticipate, but not obsess over. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed to everyone and is also something that we cannot tailor to meet our needs, wants and desires.
I believe that learning how to live in the present (or at least not thinking about the past and the future excessively), allows us to be ‘free,’ in a sense. Focusing on the present, and doing everything that we can now, and not stressing over what was, and what is going to be, means that we’re living in acceptance. Living in the present means fewer worries, stress and unnecessary regrets. I think that focusing on what is, right now, allows us to better fulfill our dreams, goals and aspirations. Think about it: it’s only possible to achieve anything that we could ever want right now. Not yesterday, because it’s gone, and not tomorrow, because it hasn’t even arrived yet and isn’t even guaranteed.
Everything that we could ever hope to achieve takes time, effort and consistency. I’ve made the choice to try to focus primarily on what is, because that’s what matters the most. Living in the present allows us to really live.
perfectenigma 