Future vs. Present

Future vs presence

While we have all been trying to guess what is coming next or planning how we will spend the next year, we often tend to overlook the present.

Now, of course, there is great benefit in planning something you truly want to do, but does everything need to be planned ahead? The interesting thing is that we enjoy the process of waiting for something and making plans, but not necessarily when those plans come to life. In other words, we enjoy the present moment through things that do not yet exist, and may never exist. How many times have you planned a vacation and really enjoyed daydreaming about it, only to find that when the vacation finally came, it wasn’t even close to what you had imagined? Or perhaps you eagerly awaited a special day, only to find it was completely different than expected.

So, what is wrong with enjoying these potential future realities? Nothing at all, if you also remember to enjoy the moment. Experiencing things in the present moment has a different effect on you. The quality of the emotions and the sensation of living here and now, there is nothing more valuable than that. This is a way to feel truely alive. Nothing else exist when you are right here, right now. It may be challenging to relearn how to live in the present, but it is also rewarding. Consider the joy of children playing, this is a joy that arises from the present moment. Initially, we all knew how to live in the now, but over time, we was encouraged to abandon this form of living.

Can you enjoy things when you experience them? As always, I encourage you to ask yourself a few questions:

• Can you stay present and connected to what is happening right now?

• How does it feel like to be present?

• When was the last time you felt completely present?

• What brings this sensation to you?

• When will you feel truly alive again?